Life Worth Living
by sarahScandal21
Summary: (This story could not be finished because of family issues and school. Sorry for the inconvenience.) This is an AU story where Olivia goes to work for Fitz as co-manager at Grant & Associates. These two are headstrong and stubborn. Will they allow themselves to be together?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey you guys! This is my first story, so be gentle lol. This is AU where Olivia is a businesswoman who helps get Grant & Associates running smoothly. Fitz is the owner of the business, and he wants her to co-manage it. He's not married in this fic, don't worry lol. She meets Mr. Grant and we'll see where it goes from there ;). I'ts not very angsty. Hope you like it!**

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**Chapter 1: Thrown Off Guard**

Olivia slumped down on her couch. She had a long day fixing the problems at Warner & Co. She stopped a client from suing the company. She was damn good at her job, but she was so tired all the time. She had the thought to take a bubble bath in her huge tub, when her phone rang. _Shit! _She thought.

"Hello?" she answered irritably.

"You ready for the opportunity of a lifetime?"

"Cyrus?!" she exclaimed. She hadn't heard from him in forever. He was her professor at Harvard and she was his star pupil.

"I just found out that there's a position open at Grant & Associates," he said.

Her mouth dropped open. _Am I dreaming?_ Her mind started going a mile a minute.

"THE Grant & Associates? As in Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III?"

"Yup. They want you to be the co-manager. They've seen what you can do to a businesses and Fitzgerald handpicked you from all the applicants. The place isn't running as smoothly and he wants you to fix it."

"Wow, I mean of course I want to do it, but…"

"No buts Olivia," Cyrus stopped her, "you're taking the job."

She agreed to take the job. Cyrus told her that she'd have a new apartment and a new car to go along with it. Cyrus said Fitz still wanted to meet her in person before she was actually hired. She was really nervous. She did graduate first in her class at Harvard, and she was the best in her field. She came into a business and ran it like a well-oiled machine. Often times saving them from losing all their clients, but something about Fitzgerald made her nervous as hell to meet him.

She went shopping for a new suit. She wanted to impress Fitz and get the job. It was her dream job… THE JOB. She picked out her new pencil skirt and blazer. She had to admit she looked pretty good. She got home and got into bed. She took a deep breath. Tomorrow she would have to meet Fitzgerald and she hoped she'd get the job. The day of the interview came. She arrived at the building which was huge. She walked in the front door and Cyrus, one of the "associates" of Grant & Associates, greeted her.

"He's in a meeting now, but he'll get to you soon," he said as he led her into his office.

"So what kind of trouble is this company in?" she asked.

"Oh, we just need someone to take charge in the offices. You know, handle the incoming clients, and just tell everyone how to basically do their jobs," he said.

She nodded in understanding. Cyrus left to take a phone call and she sat waiting for about 15 minutes. Cyrus came back and said, "He's ready for you."

She took a deep breath and got up. She followed Cy to Fitz's office. A huge office. He was sitting in his chair with the back toward them. Cyrus knocked and cleared his throat "Mr. Grant, Miss Pope is here."

Fitz held up his finger for them to hold on a minute. He finished reading what was in his hand and put it down on the desk. He turned around and Olivia stepped into the room.

"So, why do you think you're capable of working with me here?" he asked, never looking up from his blackberry.

She was thrown off guard. Cyrus had told her that he hand-picked her to be there.

"Umm.." she started.

"UMM?" he said. "I ask you a serious question and all you can say is umm?" he said condescendingly.

"No, sir I just… I was told that…" she couldn't seem to form her words. _Dammit, dammit pull yourself together! _She thought.

"Listen Ms. Price…" he sighed "how am I supposed to trust you with half of my company when you can't even…"

"It's Pope," she interjected.

"Excuse me?" he started. This time he actually looked up from his phone with his eyebrows raised. What he didn't expect was to find such a beautiful woman standing in front of him. Her hair was wavy and her bangs brushed her eyes. Her big, brown eyes. Her lips were in a defiant pout. His eyes flicked over her body and he had to admit she was a vision. She literally took his breath away. He had been surrounded by beautiful women before, but something about her was just… different.

"Umm…" he said. "I… I'm sorry, Ms. Pope."

He studied her for a few seconds. It was his turn to be at a loss for words. "You start Monday," he said sternly, trying to collect himself, "don't be late," he warned. He turned back around in his chair, looking composed on the outside. But on the inside his heart started racing. Suddenly his tie felt like it was choking him. As soon as they left, he let out a big sigh. _Well this will be interesting…_ he thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! I've gotten really nice reviews so far! Thank you, I live for the reviews! So this is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

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Olivia went home that night and recalled the day. How weird was Fitz acting? She'd have to start on Monday, so she decided to do some research on the company. Fitzgerald took over his father's company after he died. Grant & Associates owned half of the stock-holding company. They managed their client's stocks shares, and tried to get new investors. This was right up Olivia's alley. She clicked on a picture of Fitz's father, Jerry. She read that he had died of a stroke just 5 years ago. Fitz immediately took his father's place as owner of his business.

Olivia felt sad for Fitz losing his father, but was also very impressed. It was one of the most successful businesses on the east coast. Worth over 1.2 billion dollars. She shut off her laptop and finally went to bed. The weekend seemed to fly by, and Monday was finally here. She stopped at her favorite coffee shop on the way there; thankful for the caffeine. She drove to the building and stepped inside. She was about 45 minutes early and she thought she was the only one there, but when she turned the corner, she bumped into Fitz.

She didn't see him coming, and the coffee she was holding crashed into him, and got all over his suit- his extremely expensive looking suit.

"What the hell?!" he yelled angrily. She was frozen. "_Oh shit!" _she thought.

"Oh my God! I'm so so sorry!" she said quickly. "Here…." She pulled out a handkerchief from her purse and began to wipe up the mess on his chest.

He stood there watching her small hands shaking as she tried to get the coffee off, but it wasn't working.

"Just stop, okay" he said through gritted teeth. He grabbed her hands and felt a spark jolt through him. It was something he hadn't felt in years. "It's not working," he pushed her hands away and went back to his office to change. He heard her mumble something under her breath as he retreated to the office.

"_Fuck!" _she thought. "_Great first impression, Olivia!"_ It took everything in her not to cry right there. She decided to push the situation out of her head and went to the assistant's desk.

"Hello, you must be Miss Pope!" she said cheerily. Olivia nodded and the assistant showed her to Olivia's new office. It was amazing. Probably just as big as Fitz's. The assistant left and closed the door.

Over the entire day, Olivia threw herself into her work. She made endless phone calls, and just after one day, it seemed like the business was running much more smoothly. The day was winding down, and there weren't many people left in the office. She was starting to pack up when she saw Fitz in the doorway. His arms were crossed and he was just watching her with an intense look in his eyes. She was the first to speak.

"Hello, Mr. Grant, can I help you with something?" she asked sheepishly, still embarrassed from their encounter this moring.

"Well, a new suit would be nice," he joked with a smirk. He saw her expression get somber and she looked down at her desk.

"Yeah, um, listen, Mr. Grant, I'm really sorry about that…" she said nervously "If you need a new suit, I can…"

He interrupted her with a booming laugh. "Relax!" he said, trying to cheer her up. He couldn't explain it, but he didn't like seeing her so sad. "I was just kidding." He moved into her office. "Besides, I have plenty of suits."

She let out a small laugh. "Great, okay Mr. Grant," she said relieved.

"You know, you can call me Fitz, Olivia," he said surprisingly. His whole demeanor changed and Olivia began to really notice how handsome he was. Those crystal blue eyes, strong jawline, and deep baritone voice.

"Okay," she said in a small voice. The room was suddenly not as big as she remembered, and it was getting hot. He smirked at her and left the room. "_no! you are not going to sleep with the boss." _She immediately thought. She shook her head. She hadn't been involved with anyone since she left Edison 3 years ago. "_It's been a long time," _she thought.

She drove home in her new car to her new apartment provided by her job. The first day was pretty good, despite the little accident in the morning. She laid down and thought of Mr. Gra… Fitz. The way he smirked at her. "_Just a big flirt," _she thought to herself.

Over the next few weeks, she became amazingly good at her job. She tried to avoid Fitz as much as possible, but they kept running into each other. They did work in the same building after all. One night, she went to a nearby coffee shop after a long day. It wasn't too far from the office. She sat down and took off her coat. She ordered a decaf macchiato and pulled out her cell phone. She looked up when she heard his voice. She knew that voice anywhere. She leaned over and saw Fitz sitting in a booth. He couldn't see her, but she could see him. He was on the phone with someone.

"…ok hon, I'll see you at home…bye," she heard him say. "_Crap! He has a girlfriend?!" _ she thought. She knew that his wife died from cancer 7 years ago, but she didn't think he got involved with someone. She saw a picture of him and his wife on the website, and they looked very much in love. "_Why do I even care?" _she asked herself. She couldn't quite explain it, but she felt a connection to him.

She saw him get up, and she picked up her coffee to look busy. He stopped in front of her table and she pretended she didn't see him.

"Olivia?" he said. "Oh! Hello, Fitz, I didn't see you there!" she said a little too theatrically. "_calm down!" _she told herself. He looked at her with that damn smirk again. And said, "Mind if I join you?"

"No, go right ahead," she said with a small smile. He took his place on the seat across from her. He just sat there and stared. It seemed like an hour had passed when it was just about a minute. She didn't feel strange though. She felt oddly calm, and couldn't stop staring into his eyes with the same intensity. It was like the room only had the two of them in it. All the noises faded and she could only hear her heartbeat. He broke the connection and looked at his watch.

"It's getting late," he said. She looked at her watch and saw it was almost 11:00.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Well, I gotta get home to my kids… promised I'd be there before 12," he said with a smile.

"_His kids… that's who he was talking to," _she thought. They said their goodbyes to one another and left the coffee shop. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was glad he wasn't involved with anyone. She then felt terrible for thinking like that. She couldn't stop thinking about him! Ever since she broke up with Edison, she was all work, no play; the best in her field. Now, she got distracted just by thinking about him. It's like her whole world got turned upside down. She shook her head. "_this man will be the end of my career," _she laughed to herself.

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**So, Olivia and Fitz are drawn to each other. She's always in her own head too much. Hope you enjoyed this! I'll try to update soon! Follow me on twitter hay14lah and tumblr: .com**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: And I guess it's better late than never to put this, but I don't own scandal or any of the characters. They belong to the life ruin-er herself Shonda Rhimes.**

**So this chapter is a bit longer I think. We get to see some angst in this one. Please Review!**

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Olivia was walking quickly with her assistant following behind. "Do you need anything else, Ms. Pope?" she asked.

Olivia turned around and smiled "no thanks, Jen, and please call me Olivia or Liv," she said.

"But, the client reports and price proposals are due tonight," she said worriedly.

"It's already done," Olivia said nonchalantly. Jen was surprised. Usually it took two days to finish all that work. "Wow! Okay, have a nice night," she said.

Olivia was amazingly good at her job. It was like second nature to her. It was the end of another long day at the office. The stocks were up, and business was booming. She felt fulfilled with her work, but her personal life was admittedly vacant.

She headed home and sat down on her bed. She couldn't help but want someone there with her. Someone she could talk to about her day; or just to have someone embrace her as she fell asleep. She turned on the TV and changed into her night gown. She lay awake in bed thinking that she should try dating again. Her mind wandered to Fitz. She wondered why she thought of him at that moment_._ _"He's not a factor in this_." She told herself. She shook her head at the thought. She couldn't date if she wanted to because her main focus was her career.

The next day she concentrated on her work. She was called to a meeting for a new purchaser. Of course when she walked in the only seat available was across from Fitz. She ignored him as he ever-so subtly checked her out as she took her seat. She had on high heels and a pencil skirt that hugged her hips in the best way possible. Fitz took a sip of water as it became too hot.

The clients they were meeting with flew in from Japan. As the meeting progressed, Olivia noticed that they became less interested in investing in the company. They were about to leave when she stopped them, shocking everyone, when she began to speak Japanese.

Everyone watched intently as she conversed with them and at one point made them smile. They turned to Fitz and bowed. "Okay. We are in," they said. When they left, everyone gave Olivia praise as they patted her back and smiled as they left the room. "Great job!...Nice save, Liv!..." she heard people say. It was nice to be appreciated. As the crowd cleared out of the room, she noticed it was only Fitz sitting in his chair. He got up, walked around toward Olivia and perched himself on the edge of the table.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled at her. Not his usual smirk, but an actual smile. Olivia just looked back at him for a moment, not sure what he was thinking.

"Something you need, Fitz?" she asked as she took a step closer. He wanted to say yes; that he needed to tell her how much he wanted to touch her; to hold her; to feel her lips against his. But he just settled for "No… I just…" he started. "No." he lied.

"You sure?" she asked as she took another step closer. They were about a foot apart now. His eyes looked up into hers. He noticed a playful glint in them.

She leaned in a little closer and said in a deeper tone, "well I think I need something Fitz." He swallowed hard. Her hands went on both sides of him on the desk as she stepped in closer. He could smell her perfume and he inhaled deeply. His breath picked up and he was getting hot. Desire was burning in his stomach. He wanted to touch her so badly, but he willed himself not to. He had too much respect for her to just ravish her on the conference desk. But the way she was acting was making it hard to resist. Very hard.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked in a seductive tone. He was under her spell.

"Mmhhm.." she said. She was inches away from him and he could feel her breath on his ear.

She was painfully close when she said just above a whisper… "I need the stapler," she said as she grabbed it from behind him. She slowly drew herself away from him, never breaking eye contact. She smiled, turned around, and left the room… just like that. He sat there in a daze, not sure of what just happened.

He got up and followed her. Fitz was on a mission. He was going to find out everything he could about this amazing woman. Ever since she came into his life, he felt alive. He had been coasting through day to day like a robot. Something about her made him want to be a better person. She challenged him and he wanted to live up to her expectations. He couldn't explain it because he never felt like this before.

"Olivia," he called out to her as he walked quickly to catch up. She stopped and turned. "Yes?" she said.

"I need to see you in my office," he said without emotion. She couldn't read him at that time which made her weary. She followed behind him and stepped into his office. He closed the door and led him over to his small couch. "Please, take a seat," he said warmly as he settled himself on the couch.

She sat down way on the other side. The room was dim and smelled of his cologne. He leaned back and crossed his legs on the coffee table. He smirked as he saw how tense she was. Always in business mode.

"So… what did you want to see me for?" she said calmly. He smiled a small, warm smile; much different from his arrogant smirk. "Figured you needed a break," he shrugged as he continued gazing at her.

"Well, I have my own office for that you know?" she said suspiciously.

"I know, I guess I just wanted some company," he admitted selfishly. "Gets pretty lonely around here," he said. He didn't know why, but he felt like he could open up to her. She'd only been working there for 3 months and he felt like he had known her for years.

She just looked at him and smiled. His eyes were sincere and warm. She saw one of his many walls go down, and allowed herself to relax against the couch. He sat there for a minute, just listening to the hum of the air conditioner. He took a deep breath as he tried to figure out the right way to begin.

"So you've been working here for 3 months now and I don't really know anything about you," he said.

"It's all in my application and resume," she said.

"Not all of it, for example, where did you grow up?" he asked her. He wanted to get to know her on a personal level. He knew all about her academic and professional life, but he wanted more… needed more.

She was hesitant, but she decided to let him in. "New York," she replied.

"Aahh… city girl huh?" he laughed.

"Sometimes, but I actually love the outdoors," she said surprising him.

He smiled and nodded as he got up to get a drink. He came back with a drink for her as well and this time sat right next to her. She liked being closer to him. She felt at ease and more relaxed than she'd been in a while. "I enjoy the outdoors myself," he said.

He was enjoying having a normal conversation. "My turn," Olivia said. "I get to ask you something, it's only fair."

"Anything," he said.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she inquired. She remembered reading his biography but it didn't say anything about siblings.

He opened his mouth to answer, but closed it as a solemn look washed over his face. "I had a cousin who was like a brother to me," he said. He stared at the window with a melancholy gaze as his mind went to another place. Liv could see the struggle in his eyes to continue.

"Fitz?..." she started.

He inhaled. "When I was 12 my dad took my mom, my cousin John, and I out to New York for a vacation. He was actually stuck doing business the whole time. John was like the older brother I never had. Dad had just bought a new Mercedes and John wanted to test drive it. My father was a strict man and he told us that we couldn't even sit in it and listen to the radio." He paused before he continued.

"John was 16 and I did everything he did. He said my dad was just being a hard-ass and he said we should take it for a ride that afternoon. I didn't want to, but I idolized him and went along with it." She watched him intently, hanging on to every detail. "We went out that afternoon while my parents were taking a business call. He was doing well at first but then we came to a road with black ice." He quietly chuckled and shook his head and she saw his eyes get glassy. "John was a good driver but…" he choked on his words. "he lost control of the car and it started swerving out of control. A 14 wheeler truck was on the opposite side and…" he slowly closed his eyes, recalling the painful details. "He didn't make it."

Olivia's could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes "Oh, God…" she whispered.

He continued with his story as he stared into space.

"My dad was so angry all the time after that. John was his favorite. He never admitted it, but everyone knew it. He was the son he wished he could have had. He was never the same after that. I think he blamed me, and I blamed myself for a long time." He looked down at his drink and took a sip; needing some liquid courage to continue.

"Mom died a couple years later. Cancer." he said quietly. Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Under that confident, smooth exterior was a man still broken by losing his cousin and mother. He was broken on the inside. She shook her head because everything she thought about him turned out to be so much different.

He took a deep breath as he looked back at her smiling with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen. She had the urge to just hug him. Wrap him in her arms and hold him until all the pain went away. But she settled for holding his hand. She moved in closer to him and slowly reached her hand to touch his. When he didn't pull back, she grabbed on tighter. Their eyes were staring at their hands intertwining. Nothing had to be said at that moment. He opened up to her and she allowed herself to not push him away.

He felt so safe with her. He hadn't talked about this in years. His thumb started rubbing her hand slow, and gently. He was worried that he was springing too much on her at once, but she didn't act paranoid. She took his hand and let him be Fitz the man, not the person responsible for his father's legacy, but a man who was vulnerable and needy and still needing to grieve.

He looked up as he saw a water droplet fall on their hands. One single tear managed to escape Olivia's eyes. "Hey…" he whispered gently as his hand instinctively went to her face. He hated seeing her cry and immediately wished he hadn't told her all of this. She looked up into his eyes and quietly laughed a sad laugh.

"I'm sorry," she said as she sniffled. "It's not like I should be the one crying right now." She tried to get up and leave, but he placed his other hand softly on her cheek. His thumb wiped away her tear as they gazed into each other's eyes. "There…" he said as he slowly caressed her face. "perfect," he said as she smiled at him. He let go of her face and stared at the ground.

"Listen, I'm really sorry for springing all this on you…" he began. She cut him off.

"No." she said. " No apologies necessary, Fitz." She said with a warm smile. He nodded and met her eyes for a few seconds.

"Well I have to get home if you don't mind," he said looking at the clock.

"Oh right, of course," she said as she got up. "Good night." She said because it was the only thing she could come up with at the moment. She didn't know why he told her something so obviously personal to him. She felt a sense of fulfillment knowing that he felt he could open up to her. Her feelings for him reached a whole new level.

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_I was having some serious Olitz feels with this one. I hope you guys are liking this story so far! How sad was Fitz's story? I wanted them to become closer and this was my "dark and twisty" way of doing that. As always, I live for the reviews so please please please leave one... good or bad, I take them all with appreciation!_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So it's been a while since I've updated. Sorry! School and work are killing me! Anyway, I hope this chapter is still interesting, but I wanted to introduce some new characters. Let me know what you think!

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Fitz drove home wondering what made him reveal so much about his life to Olivia. He hadn't even known her for 6 months and there he was just airing all of his deepest emotions. He pulled into his driveway and turned off the car.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed as he closed his eyes. All he could think of lately was Olivia. He felt a connection to her that he never remembered having with anyone else. Not even Mellie.

He and Mellie had a good marriage of 10 years. He knew her since high school and their parents had made it clear that they were perfect for each other. It was basically predetermined that they'd get married. Fitz had a mutual respect for Mellie and he loved her the way he thought love was supposed to feel. It was a great partnership, but he admitted to himself that he was never _in _love with her.

When she died from skin cancer, it hit his kids the hardest. His son Gerry was 14 when it happened and Karen was 11. Gerry became detached, but found his way back with some therapy. It was especially hard on Karen having to go through her teenage years without a mom.

But that was 7 years ago and they were doing much better now. Gerry was off in college for engineering; breaking the family cycle of business school. Karen, on the other hand wanted to stay in the family business. She was a senior in high school and was hoping to hear back from her colleges of choice very soon.

He came out of his reminiscence and got out the car. He opened his front door to the house and quietly stepped inside. When he walked in he saw Karen on the laptop in the living room.

"Hey dad," she said as she popped a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"Karen, what are you still doing up?" he said as he looked at his watch. "It's almost 11."

She continued to type with lightning speed as she chuckled.

"Please dad, NO ONE goes to sleep before 1 anymore, 12 if they're lucky" she said as she shook her head. Fitz wanted to tell her a classic "back when I was a boy" story, but he decided to spare her the details for tonight.

"Plus I have this paper to finish," she said tiredly.

Fitz was really proud of her for being so focused on her academics. His dad always pushed him so hard when he was in school. Fitz wanted Karen to succeed, but at the same time, he didn't want to push too hard. He was determined to be a better dad than his father.

"Alright well just don't stay up too late and don't work too hard," he said. He walked over and kissed her on top of her head. "Good night."

"Mkay, g'night dad," she said with a mouth full of popcorn.

Fitz headed upstairs to his bedroom. He took off his shoes and tie and sat down on his bed. His house was enormous, but lately it only reminded him of not having someone to share it with. He leaned forward and sighed with his head in his hands.

Yet again, his mind wandered to Olivia. He wondered if she thought about him too. He admitted that he felt better after talking to her about his cousin. He lay down and almost immediately drifted off into sleep, getting more rest than he had in a long time.

Olivia went home and was exhausted. She was having a battle with her own emotions. She didn't know what to think of Fitz revealing so much. She definitely didn't know how to process it. She had flirted with him, and he had flirted back, but that was just something that they did. It didn't occur to her that it was anything more than innocent flirting. She never expected him to tell her about his innermost emotions.

It disturbed her that she actually cried. Olivia had a rule about that. _I don't believe in crying, _she reminded herself. She was always the one who kept it together, because that's who she was. She always followed her rules, but the rules didn't matter when it came to Fitz. It was frustrating.

She went into her kitchen to put on a pot of tea. _Ok. Just stop thinking about him, _she told herself. Easier said than done.

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The next day at the office, Olivia wasn't sure how she should act around Fitz. She knew he probably didn't want to talk about the previous night, so she just decided to pretend like it didn't happen. She definitely didn't want to talk about it either.

She sat down at her desk when she saw one of her co-workers walking toward her. "Hey Liv!" Abby said.

"Hi, Abby how are you?" Olivia said. Abby Whelan was the communications liaison at Grant & Associates. She was an edgy redhead and sometimes too outspoken, but she always got the job done. They had become pretty close since she started working there.

"I'm pretty good," Abby said as she hopped up on Olivia's desk. "You know except for the fact that I found Steven cheating on me last night," she said casually.

"You ok?" Olivia asked calmly.

"Oh yeah totally… You wanna know who it was with?" she asked.

"Not really…." Olivia started, but once Abby started talking there was no getting her to stop.

"Paige!" she said a little too loudly.

"The one who works in data entry?" Olivia asked.

"YEP!" she said as she rolled her eyes. "Oh well, it's not like I care. Paige is whore and Steven's a man whore. I hope they have a whore filled life together."

Olivia looked at her with a sympathetic smile. Abby just chuckled. "There are no good men left out there Liv," Abby said as she took a sip of coffee.

Olivia would have agreed with that a few months ago, but she thought about Fitz. "_Maybe he was one of the good ones"_ she thought. She didn't realize it, but she was wrapped up in her thoughts and zoned out for a moment.

"Hello? Liv?" Abby said as she snapped her fingers. "What?" Olivia said.

Abby's eyes got wide and she started grinning like a crazy person.

"WHAT?!" Olivia repeated.

"Who is it?" Abby asked her. Olivia went into business mode.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said casually as she got up.

"Ok fine, you don't have to tell me," Abby said as she got off the desk. "But you know I'm going to find out anyway."

Olivia chuckled and said, "You have a very active imagination Abby."

Abby was still smiling like a little school girl as she walked away. Olivia didn't know how to explain Fitz to anyone. He was her boss, but also something else. A friend? More than a friend? She didn't know and that made her uneasy. She could always read everyone and know what they'd do next, but Fitz was a wildcard.

She tried to put him out of her head as she walked toward the conference room. It was a brief meeting of the usual matters but everyone had to attend.

She walked in and there were plenty of seats available. She noticed Fitz was near the front end of the table, so she sat in the middle. She needed to focus and she found that hard to do lately with him around.

Fitz glanced over to where she was sitting. She had a serious look on her face as she read over a document. He could see under her exterior though. Her eyes were a mixture of confusion and frustration. His heart dropped when he thought that he could be the reason for that. He then regretted telling her so much the night before. He couldn't help himself when he was around her. He just felt so at ease when he was near her.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He watched her every movement; the crinkle in her brow as she thought about something. The way she pursed her lips as she read. He silently willed for her to look at him.

Olivia read through the paper, but felt as if she was being watched. Of course her gut was always right. She looked up and saw Fitz watching her with an entranced gaze. She wanted to look away but she couldn't. Her eyes locked into his and she gave him a small smile.

That little action made Fitz's heart skip a beat. His every feeling lately seemed to be controlled by the look on her face. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Olivia tore her eyes away from him and turned her head. She then realized Abby was looking at her with her mouth open.

Abby silently mouthed "Fitz?!"

Olivia gave her a warning look not to say anything. Abby threw her hands up defensively and smiled.

After the meeting, Abby followed Liv to her office and shut the door behind them.

"I can't believe you're dating Mr. Grant," she said in a whisper.

"We're not dating Abby," she said shaking her head "we're just…." She couldn't find the right word. "We're friends."

"Yeah, from the way he was looking at you, I'd say your GOOD friends," she said with a smirk.

"Really, Abby? Come on, we're not in high school," Olivia said.

"Whatever, Liv. You can try to convince yourself that there's nothing more there, but what I saw back there was not the way friends look at each other," Abby said as she left her office.

Olivia knew she was right, but she didn't know what to make of it.

A couple hours later Olivia was walking toward the break room, when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl said.

"Oh, you're fine," Olivia chuckled. She noticed the girl looked a bit young to be in the office; around 17 maybe. "Are you lost honey?" she asked her.

"No," the girl smiled. "This is my dad's business."

"Oh, you're Fitz's daughter?" she asked casually.

"Yeah, Karen," she said extending her hand.

"Hi, I'm Olivia," she said shaking her hand.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Karen said with wide eyes. "Where did you get that handbag?!" she said in amazement.

"Oh, this? I got it in Italy. Custom made," Olivia said. She held out the purse as she admired it like a rare piece of art.

"I've been looking for this forever!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you've been to Italy; I'm so jealous!"

Olivia smiled and thought Karen reminded her of herself at that age; wanting to explore the world.

"I have some pictures on my computer if you want to see," Olivia said.

"Uhh, yeah!" Karen replied. They went into her office and Olivia began explaining the trip. Karen listened with an attentive gaze. They continued chatting away for 30 minutes.

Fitz was walking down the hall when he heard laughter coming from Olivia's office. It sounded like his daughter's laugh so he pushed open the door.

"Karen?" he said as he looked between the two of them. "This is a nice surprise… What are you doing here?"

"Well I came to drop off my paper for you to proofread, but I ran into Liv here," she said smiling back at Olivia.

"Oh…" he said as he looked at his daughter's face. He hadn't seen her that excited in a while.

"Yeah, she's so awesome! I swear you better not ever fire her," she said as she handed him her paper and left the room.

Fitz walked further into the room and closed the door behind him. He felt a sense of joy knowing that Karen was crazy about Olivia. He put his hands in his pockets and a heartfelt smile plastered his face.

"It seems you've made quite the impression on her," he said as he walked closer to her desk. Olivia got up and walked around her desk, now standing closer to him.

"She's pretty great, and smart as a tack," she said with a smile. "You must be proud."

"I am," he said. He looked at her for a minute just taking in everything about her. For some reason she made him feel calm and excited all at the same time. He noticed she had that same conflicted look on her face.

Olivia was beginning to have that battle in her own mind again. She liked having Fitz around her, but she didn't want to get involved in a relationship right now. She had to focus on her work. She tried to avoid his face, but those crystal blue eyes were like magnets.

She wanted to think of an excuse to get rid of him, but she couldn't seem to do it.

"Hey, you wanna grab a drink tonight?" Fitz asked her. Olivia was surprised. She wanted to say yes, but she kept making up excuses in her head.

"Do you always think this hard about every question?" he asked with a smirk.

She chuckled. "I have a rule about not dating my co-workers," she said.

"Then don't think of it as a date," he said as he moved closer to her. She could smell his cologne and it was intoxicating.

"Then what is it?" she asked. He stepped closer to her, breaking the bubble of her personal space. His eyes locked onto hers and he smirked.

"Two friends having a drink," he said. The words were innocent enough, but the way he said it with that deep baritone voice had her heart beating faster.

"Ok. I'll meet you there," she said as she tried to compose her breathing.

* * *

Olivia arrived at the bar first at around 7:00 and ordered a club soda. She wasn't much of a drinker besides her occasional red wine. She glanced at her watch and noticed she had been waiting for 10 minutes. She was about to leave when she saw Fitz walk through the doors.

He strode over to the seat next to her. He ordered a shot and looked at Olivia. She had removed her blazer, and had a thin gray sleeveless shirt. The neckline dipped just low enough to still leave a little to the imagination. Her skin looked smooth and silky and he wanted so badly to touch her there. He looked away before she could catch him staring.

He needed to think of something else.

"So, what did you and Karen talk about today," he asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Oh, nothing much," she said "just girl stuff." Fitz nodded his head and took another shot.

He was about to say something when a man came and sat next to Olivia. The man tapped her on the shoulder and she twisted in her stool to look at him.

"Well hey there, little lady," he slurred as his blood shot eyes scanned her body. She felt her skin crawl. The man was obviously drunk. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," she said as she started to turn back to Fitz. The guy wasn't having any of it. He grabbed her arm roughly which made her let out a hiss in pain. Fitz was ready to pounce on the guy and beat him to a bloody pulp. He was boiling inside, but he wasn't the kind of guy to start a bar fight.

"You don't have to play hard to get," he said as he inched toward her face. He smelled of alcohol and sweat.

"Let go of my arm... NOW," Olivia said with daggers in her eyes.

"You're just a little tease aren't you?" he said grinning.

Fitz couldn't sit back any longer. He was pushed over the edge.

"She said let her go," Fitz said as he got up to face the man. He let go of Olivia's arm and turned to Fitz.

"And who's gonna stop me?" he questioned him. "Look everyone!" he yelled to the bar. "This guy in a suit thinks he can take me on!" It took everything in Fitz not to punch him out right there.

"Besides, from the way she's dressed it looks like she wants some attention if you ask me," he said as he eyed Olivia.

That drove Fitz over the edge. Without warning, he swung his fist hard into his face, sending him crashing to the ground. He scrambled on the floor with a bloody nose.

"I think you broke my nose, you son of a bitch!" he yelled.

Olivia was in a bit of shock over Fitz's bar brawl. She'd never seen this side of him.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said as he led her out of the bar. They arrived to his car as he started fumbling for his keys.

"Wait, I think you've had too much to drink to drive," Olivia said. "Plus, you look like you'd get major road rage," she said. Fitz stopped searching for his keys and looked at her. He still had a crazed look on his face, but it faded as he gazed at her. His heart finally slowed to a steady beat.

"I'll drive you home," she said as she pulled out her keys. He was going to protest and say he'd call a cab, but he was too exhausted to say anything.

The ride to his house was silent except for him telling her where to turn. She pulled up in his driveway and shut off the car.

"You realize that was insane back there right?" she asked him. He rolled his head against the neck rest and looked at her.

"But thank you," she finally said. He smiled tiredly and said, "You're welcome."

Olivia looked down at his hand. It was already starting to bruise.

"Not such a great first date huh?" he asked.

"I thought it wasn't a date," she said with a smirk. He smiled back at her.

"Why would it be so bad to date me? Am I really that bad?" he asked with a playful frown.

"No, but it would be inappropriate," she said.

"Well then let's be inappropriate," he whispered in a raspy voice. She just chuckled lightly and rolled her eyes.

"You need to get some ice on your hand," she said. He held it up and looked at it.

"Guess you're right," he said. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem," she responded. Now was the time for him to get out of her car and leave, but he didn't move. And she didn't want him to. It was suddenly 10 degrees hotter as they gazed into each other's eyes. She found herself almost involuntarily moving closer to him. They were only inches apart now. Their breaths picked up and they were breathing each other's air. His good hand found its place on her thigh. She leaned in a bit closer; just inches away. One small move and their lips would be touching.

Fitz was about to finally feel what he'd been dreaming about and craving for. He was about to make the move, when he heard tapping on the window. He reluctantly pulled back from her. Fitz put the window down and saw Karen standing there. She poked her head through the window.

"Hey, Olivia!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Her face suddenly twisted up with a disgusted look.

"Ugh, dad you reek of alcohol," she said dramatically. "And did you get into a fight or something?" she said as she looked at his hand.

"Shouldn't I be the one getting into trouble?" she asked as she crossed her arms. He opened the door and got up to hug her. She smiled at him and got an idea.

"Liv, why don't you stay for dinner? She asked. Olivia didn't know what to say. She didn't want to be in such close corners with Fitz because it may lead to something else.

"Oh, no, that's alright… I don't want to intrude" she said.

"Come on Liv, you're not intruding! Tell her dad," she urged him.

"Umm.. yeah you're welcome to stay," he said. He saw the hesitant look on her face. He turned to Karen. "Olivia's had a long day, I'm sure she's tired and wants to get home."

"Well then she can come in for some coffee or tea" she said eagerly. She was relentless and Liv and Fitz had to chuckle of how persuasive she could be. Olivia agreed and exited the car. They were walking side by side behind Karen up to his house.

"She sure has the Grant charm," she said quietly. He laughed quietly as they continued walking close together.

For a few, brief seconds before they reached the front door, his hand brushed hers. It was the smallest of movements, but it sent shocks through his system. She felt it too. Surprisingly, she didn't make herself pull back.

They reached the front door, and they stepped inside…

* * *

So I left a bit of a cliffhanger there... Abby is awesome right? "Paige is a whore!" And Karen was a little matchmaker :) Let's see what happens at dinner... I'll try to update by Friday night or Saturday at the latest. Please leave a review! I live for them!


	5. Chapter 5: Amazement and Surprises

**A/N: I'm so sorry that I'm more than a week late. I'm doing my best bear with me lol. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

Previously: Karen insisted Liv to join them for dinner.

_"She sure has the Grant charm," she said quietly. He laughed quietly as they continued walking close together._

_For a few, brief seconds before they reached the front door, his hand brushed hers. It was the smallest of movements, but it sent shocks through his system. She felt it too. Surprisingly, she didn't make herself pull back._

_They reached the front door, and they stepped inside…_

* * *

They went into his house and sat in the living room with cups of coffee and tea. Karen and Olivia were chatting about her plans for college and business school as Fitz watched them. He loved seeing his daughter open up to someone so easily.

Karen silently observed her dad. She saw the way he was looking at Olivia. It was the look of admiration and pure joy. She hadn't seen him look this happy in a while.

Being the inquisitive person that she was, she decided to speed along their obvious need to be alone.

"You know what, this was great Liv, but I'm just so tired all of a sudden," she said. Fitz watched her suspiciously as she got up. "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go to bed."

"I thought you didn't go to sleep until at least 12?" Fitz said mockingly.

"I guess I just had a long day," she said as she shrugged her shoulders. She quickly walked up the stairs to her room, smiling in satisfaction.

This left Olivia and Fitz on the couch, alone together at last. She looked at her watch.

"You know, I should probably get going too… it's late," she said.

"I know but just…" he started as he gazed into her eyes. "Just sit here with me for one more minute." he asked.

She relaxed back into the couch and smiled. "Okay. One minute," she said. He smiled and sighed. Almost feeling a breath of fresh air that she was remaining by his side. He didn't want her to leave. They sat in silence for a minute before she was the first to break it.

"This was one of the most interesting first dates I've ever had," she chuckled.

"This wasn't a date." he said. She looked confused. He was the one who kept insisting that it was.

"What?" she said. He smiled at her and scooted closer to her on the couch. He slowly took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth and placed a small kiss upon it. Olivia was surprised yet pleased by his actions. _Who still does that kind of thing?_ She asked herself.

"Our first date will be nothing like tonight," he said as he brushed a piece of hair from her face. She felt shockwaves from that little move. "And it won't end in a bar fight," he said in a low, deep voice.

"How will it end?" she asked him as her eyes shut. They were sitting just a couple of inches apart now. His left hand was still on her face and the other one took rest on her knee.

"Well, first we'll go to the best restaurant in town," he said as he leaned in closer to her ear.

She could feel his breath so close to her and she felt a burning desire growing in her stomach.

"and take a walk in the park," he said just above a whisper. The way he was whispering to her made her want to throw all her rules out the window and take him right there on the couch.

"and then…" he said. She waited in anticipation as her breathing became faster for what came next. He pulled back slightly and took his hands off of her. She opened her eyes, awoken from her daydream.

He smirked at the slightly disappointed look on her face.

"Well, now I'm not gonna ruin the surprise," he said. She shook her head and smiled.

"I look forward to it," she said.

"How's tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Perfect," she said without much thought.

He walked her out to her car and opened her door. She moved to get in, but he stopped her with his arm extended.

"Just one more thing…" he whispered. He slowly moved his hands to caress her cheeks and leaned down. He kissed her sweetly on her lips and she returned the kiss. She wanted to deepen her lips on his, but he pulled back before she got a chance.

She held back a groan as he backed away and opened the car door for her. She stepped inside and tried to relax in the seat. Fitz leaned down through the window.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he told her. She smiled and pulled out of the driveway. He watched her car drive off into the night, and silently wished for the next day to get there as soon as possible.

Olivia arrived home and walked into her room. She walked over to her bed and sprawled across it lying on her back. She really was exhausted. She closed her eyes and touched her fingers to her lips. She smiled as she thought of finally going on a romantic date with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hi," Fitz said on the other end.

"So I realized we never agreed on a time or place for tomorrow," he said. She was so caught up in the moment she hadn't even realized this either.

"I think seven would be a good time," she responded.

"Okay, and where do you want to go?" he asked her. She thought for a few seconds.

"Surprise me," she ended up saying. He liked the way she thought.

"Okay," he responded. She could hear it in his voice that he was smiling.

"Wait, what should I wear?" she asked him. He sort of chuckled.

"Something classy, but not too extravagant, but I'm pretty sure you'd look good even if you wore a trash bag" he chuckled. She laughed and shook her head. She was impressed with his answer. Anytime she'd ask Edison the same thing he'd say _How should I know?_ Or _Whatever you want._ It truly frustrating.

"You save that line for all the ladies?" she asked teasingly.

"No. Only for you," he replied warmly. "And there aren't any other ladies, Liv."

His words left her speechless for a second. She smiled and said "Good to know."

"I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow," he told her and they hung up. She got up and walked to her closet to figure out what to wear. She decided on a little black dress with black pointed toe heels.

She still had to go to work the next day and it seemed as if the clock would not go any slower. She had been in her office all day and didn't get a chance to see Fitz. Abby walked in with a pep in her step.

"Hey Liv, we still on for drinks tonight?" she asked as she entered her office. Olivia's eyes went wide and she felt so guilty. She was so swept up in the moment of her date, she completely forgot about it.

Abby could read her face and said "You forgot didn't you?" Olivia opened her mouth to apologize but Abby stopped her.

"It's fine Liv, you don't have to stop having a life for me," she told her. "I'm not deranged just single."

"I really am sorry Abby," she insisted. Abby chuckled.

"Hey at least one of us is going to get laid," she said casually.

"Abby," Olivia said calmly.

"Yeah?"

"Get out," she said with a laugh. She held back a laugh as she exited her office.

After what seemed like forever, 5:00 finally arrived and she eagerly walked to her car.

She arrived home and immediately freshened up her makeup; adding a night look to her eyes and applying more lipstick. She changed into her dress and added some gold jewelry. She was picking up her clutch as the doorbell rang.

She reached for the doorknob and swung the door open. Fitz was carrying some flowers but he just stood there taking her in. Her dress was just at her knees, but was hugging her body in the most enticing way. Her makeup was a lot different than how she wore it at work. And her hair, usually in a wavy style, was now straight and the way it cascaded her face made her features more prominent. Her lips were dark red and he couldn't stop looking at them.

"Are those for me?" she asked looking at the flowers.

"Oh, uh, yes," he said as he handed her the flowers. She set them on the side table and closed the door as she stepped into the hallway. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She always looked good, but tonight she tipped the scales with her beauty.

He held out his arm for her and she grabbed on. He led her down to his car and opened the door for her. He started up the engine as they pulled out of the driveway.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" she asked him anxiously.

He just smiled and shifted gears. "It's a surprise," he said with a smirk.

She sighed and leaned back in her seat. The ride took about 20 minutes, and they came to an old looking house in the middle of a clear field. She looked at him questioningly. "What is this place?" she inquired.

"Just follow me," he said as he led her up to the entrance. They entered and it was a lot bigger inside than what it appeared. It was actually more like a mansion, really.

"This was where my grandfather grew up," he explained. She took in the antique details of the house as she continued to follow him. They reached the French doors at the back of the house and he stopped to open them.

The sight took her breath away. The backyard was lit with dim lights along the fence and a blanket was set out on the top of a small hill. She looked over to him and he took her hand. They walked up to the blanket and he sat down.

"What are we doing?" she said still standing.

"Just sit down and relax," he said. She hesitated before finally settling on the blanket.

"Now lay down," he coaxed her. Her head snapped toward him.

"What?" she asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Trust me Livvie," he said. She sighed and leaned back on the blanket next to him. It was a cool night, but she could feel the heat radiating from his body next to her. She finally took the time to absorb her surroundings. She noticed there was what looked like a billion stars in the sky. This was something she wasn't used to seeing in the city. It was like a never ending pool of sparkling gems in a sea of darkness.

"Wow," she whispered mesmerizingly. Fitz smiled and looked over to her.

"Yeah….. wow," uttered as he was still gazing at her. He was awoken from his daydream when he heard her suddenly gasp and sit up.

"What?" he said startled by her actions.

"Look!" she said as she grabbed his arm and pointed up toward the stars. He didn't see anything.

"Livvie, are you okay?" he asked her with a worried look.

"Shut up and just look," she urged him. He chuckled and scanned the skies. Then he saw it. A shooting star. Not one but a multitude of them. This is why he brought her out here. He knew there would be a meteor shower tonight and he wanted her to see it. He didn't need to watch the bursts of light, but the way her face lit up at the scenery. It lasted for what seemed like ages, but in reality it was only several minutes.

Fitz stood up and reached for her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked him. She didn't want to leave the starlit expanse of land that seemed unreal.

"This is only the beginning Liv," he said to her. She took his and as he pulled her up from the ground. They returned to the car and drove for about 15 minutes to the next location. It was a little intimate restaurant with about four other couples inside. He pulled open the door for her as they walked in.

They were seated at a booth near the corner of the cozy place. They both ordered red wine and the waiter poured it in their glasses. They looked through the menu as they sipped on their drinks. It was mostly French cuisine and was very pricey.

"I can't pronounce half of these things," he said with a small laugh. The waiter came back to their table and asked if they were ready to order. Olivia responded and requested her dish with a perfect French accent. She also ordered for Fitz because it looked like he was having a difficult time with it.

The waiter left and left them to their own devices.

"Don't tell me you speak French too?" he said as he took another sip of his drink.

"It was all in my resume Fitz," she said nonchalantly.

"Any other secrets of yours I should know about?" he questioned with a grin.

"No, but you know what they say," she started. " –dirty little secrets always come out."

Fitz smirked and looked down at the menu to try and decide on what he wanted for dessert. He took another sip of his drink. As he was reading, the letters were becoming suddenly blurred. He tried to blink back the haze, but it was getting worse. He pinched the bridge of his nose as the room began to spin. Olivia noticed his change in behavior and was getting concerned.

"Fitz?" she said slowly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I just…" he started. He loosened his tie as he felt like he was suffocating. His throat was constricting and It was getting harder to breathe and his heart was pounding in his ears. He started coughing and gasping for air as his throat closed up. The last thing he heard was Olivia yelling something as his eyes rolled back into his head and blacked out; falling out of his chair and onto the floor.

* * *

*gasp* lol. I must be more like Shonda than I thought. This is getting cryptic. Please review! sorry it was so short.


	6. Chapter 6: Suspect

**A/N: That cliffhanger right? Sorry not sorry (: also if I didn't mention it before, this story takes place in D.C., just not in the White House.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Suspect

He was sinking deeper into the dark abyss. The pressure on his lungs was like a boulder slowly crushing him. A faint scream echoed as he struggled for air. Darkness.

Olivia watched in dismay as he went from a coughing fit to gasping for oxygen. He slumped out of his chair and hit the ground.

"Fitz?!" Olivia yelled. The other couples gasped and hurriedly walked over to his now unconscious body.

The room erupted with questions of what was going on and what happened. Olivia was now kneeling beside him and put her ear next to his face to check if he was still breathing. Nothing.

"He's not breathing," she said to herself. She pointed to a man and told him to call 911 now! He began to dial in the number as someone came and sat on the other side of Fitz. He immediately checked for a pulse and if he was still breathing. With the realization that he was unconscious, he began to do compressions on his chest; alternating with 2 breaths on his lifeless mouth.

Olivia sat back and watched this man give everything he had to keep Fitz alive. She wondered who he was. He didn't look like a doctor, just an average man, but he moved at a skilled pace. He definitely wasn't dressed for the fancy restaurant. She noticed she never saw him when they initially walked in.

He continued CPR for about 10 minutes before the ambulance got there. The EMT's stormed through the front door and got Fitz on the stretcher. They quickly got him into the ambulance and drove off to the closest hospital, leaving Olivia at the restaurant in disbelief.

Everything had been going so great then all of a sudden he was unconscious on the floor.

"Hey, are you okay?" someone asked her. She looked up and saw it was the man who performed CPR on Fitz.

"Yeah I'm fine," she started. "Who are you?" she asked him. He was fidgety and still hadn't looked her in the eyes yet.

"Uh, it doesn't matter who I am," he said nervously. He looked around the room and started walking toward the door. She grabbed him by the arm gently to stop him, but he flinched back as if her touch was a searing pain.

"I'm sorry, I just…" she didn't want to scare him off. "I'd like to know the name of the person who may have just saved my date's life." He paused before he looked at her in the eyes for a split second.

"Like I said it doesn't matter," he muttered; and with that he headed out of the building and disappeared into the night.

Olivia drove herself to the hospital trying to make sense of everything that happened. She entered the emergency ward and asked for Fitz. A nurse showed her to his room where he was sitting at the edge of the bed, still in his regular clothes.

"Fitz," she sighed, relieved that he was breathing albeit through an oxygen mask he held to his mouth.

She walked over to him and placed a hand on his back. He grabbed on to her arm, still feeling a bit dizzy.

He was about to respond to her when the doctor came in the room. "Hello Mr. Grant, how are you feeling?"

He removed the oxygen mask and uttered a breathy "better," but Liv was still not satisfied.

"Doctor, may I ask… what exactly happened," she said.

"Yes, it seems as if he had an allergic reaction and went into severe anaphylactic shock," he said looking at his chart.

"Oh God," Olivia whispered.

"I see here that you're allergic to penicillin, did you take any medications today sir?"

He shook his head. "No."

"And you were lucky to regain consciousness," the doctor continued. "The EMT informed me that if you hadn't received CPR on the scene, you most likely wouldn't have made it so you were very lucky."

Fitz removed the mask from his mouth, now feeling a bit rejuvenated from the oxygen.

"If I didn't take any penicillin, how did this happen?" he asked.

"We're still running a tox screen on your blood and waiting on the results," the doctor explained. "That should tell us exactly what gave you this reaction."

"Thank you doctor," he said. He left the room and Fitz looked at Olivia's expression. She was thinking about something. He could always tell when something was wrong because she started pacing.

"Liv, what's wrong?" he asked. She stopped in her tracks and looked up.

"Nothing, just relax Fitz, everything's fine," she said trying to convince him.

"You're lying," he said softly, "And don't try to deny it because I can tell… I can always tell."

She sighed and thought back to the scene. The way his lips turned purple from a lack of oxygen, the way a complete stranger did everything he could to keep him alive. It was all unbelievable. And it made her uneasy.

"After you passed out…" she began, "a man came out of nowhere and started giving you CPR."

"Well, who was it?" he asked. She sighed and shook her head.

"That's the thing; I have no idea," she admitted. "And when I asked for his name, he wouldn't tell me."

Fitz now looked just as confused and worried as Olivia.

"Okay that's odd, but I can respect his privacy," he said trying to ease her concern. She started pacing again.

"It's not just that." She said, "He wasn't in the restaurant when we got there. He just appeared out of nowhere."

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtfully.

"Of course I'm sure. He looked so out of place." She couldn't wrap her head around what was going on.

Just then, the doctor walked in the room and glanced at his chart. "Mr. Grant, according to the results of the test, not only did you have alcohol in your system, but trace amounts of penicillin."

They both knew then, that someone must have tainted his drink.

"We suspect foul play, and the police will be here to take both of your statements in a little bit," the doctor said.

"This is crazy," he said tiredly.

"Do you actually think someone would spike your drink?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know, maybe."

"Well, do you have any enemies? Anyone that would want you dead?" she questioned.

He shook his head, but thought for a minute. "No… I don't know."

"Well, who would know of your allergy to penicillin?"

"I have no idea, it's confidential information," he said.

He slumped down in a chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. Olivia could tell he was exhausted.

The police arrived and they gave their statement of everything that happened that night. He walked back toward Olivia when they were finished.

"You should head home, get some rest," she said.

"I'm sorry tonight turned out the way it did," he told her. "This must be on the top of your list for worst dates ever," he joked.

"Oh, there have been worse.. believe it or not," she offered a smile.

He brought her in for a hug and whispered, "We'll make up for this night, I promise."

They walked together to the parking garage and he got in his car to head home. As he pulled out, Olivia rushed to her car and headed back to the restaurant. She was going to find out what was really going on. As soon as she got there she saw police cars surrounding the restaurant and a CSI team collecting evidence. She walked closer trying to see inside, but an arm blocked her.

"This area is off limits, ma'am," the police officer told her. She stretched her neck, looking inside the restaurant and backed away. Just as she was about to turn around, someone caught her eye. It was the same man who evidently saved Fitz's life. He suddenly saw her watching him and took off around the corner. Olivia wouldn't let him get away. She was close enough that she was able to keep her eye on him.

"Hey!" Olivia called. He continued speed walking down the sidewalk. "Stop! Please!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Olivia was catching her breath as she came closer to him.

"I just wanted to ask you a couple questions," she told him. He looked conflicted but eventually nodded his head.

"Ok, I want to know who you are," she said softly, lest she scare him away again.

"I told you already… it doesn't matter," he uttered.

"Of course it does, everyone matters." Olivia looked at him and he eventually met her eyes. She gave him a small smile.

"You don't have to divulge every little secret, just start with your name?" she urged carefully.

He looked at her intensely with a mixture of fear and hopefulness. As she explored his eyes, she noticed they were bloodshot. He looked extremely distant, yet vigilant at the same time.

"I'm Huck," he finally said.

"Hi, Huck. I just needed to thank you…. For saving his life," she said.

"No thanks necessary," he told her.

"How did you get to him so fast? I didn't see you in the restaurant," she asked. He looked away quickly and his eyes shifted back and forth around the street.

"I have to go, just forget about everything ok?" he spat out. He took off again, this time almost running away.

Olivia drove herself home and thought about Huck. She needed to know who he really was and she was going to find out. She went inside her apartment and rested herself on the couch. She dialed her cell phone and sighed as she waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" the man said.

"Hello Edison," she said.

"Olivia? Long time no talk to. How are you?" he said.

"I'm fine," she stated. "Listen, I know you aren't supposed to do any 'special' favors for anyone, but you're on the intelligence committee and I need some information."

"Olivia, you know I can't just –"

"Please just hear me out," she urged. He sighed and told her to continue.

"I just need the video footage of the cameras outside the little French place on 10th street," she said.

"Why? What happened?" he insisted.

"Can you get me the footage or not?" she said a little more harshly than she intended.

"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. You can stop by my office tomorrow at your convenience," he said.

"Thank you," she said as she hung up. The next day, she went to go see the recording of the previous night.

Edison had a tech guy set up several computers of various angles of the restaurant. She told him to fast forward to around 9:00.

"There… pause it," she leaned in closer and saw Huck outside of the restaurant in a car. It seemed as if he was watching them. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw him bolt out of the car and into the restaurant just as Fitz hit the ground.

"Who was that guy?" Edison asked her.

"His name is Huck, but I'm pretty sure that's not his real name," she told him.

"I'll look into it," Edison said. She was surprised by his willingness to help her.

"That would be great, thanks," she said graciously. "Just call me if you find anything,"

Liv walked to her car and pulled out the parking garage. She was almost home, when she stopped at a red light and saw someone walking on the sidewalk. She knew that face anywhere… it was Huck. She decided to cautiously follow his trail and ended up at a cheap looking apartment.

She noted the address and continued on her way home. As she was finally going to lay down for the night, her cell phone rang. She groaned with exasperation and answered.

"Hello?"

"Olivia, this Huck person you wanted to know so much about…" Edison started.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

"We ran his face on the photo recognition system and it seems as if he served in the military before being discharged for a classified mission" he told her.

She sat up and tried to wrap her head around it all.

"So what…. He's ex- CIA or something?" she asked.

"Yes possibly, and I'm not so sure you should continue being involved in this; he could be dangerous Olivia," he worried.

"I can't just let this go Edison," she said solidly.

"Why? What's so important about this guy?"

"He saved the life of someone really important to me. I have to know why," she told him and hung up.

The next morning, she took a risk and drove to Huck's apartment. She waited in the car for him to come out. Huck walked out of the building and Olivia quickly got out of the car.

"Huck!" she called after him. He turned around and looked extremely paranoid.

"What are you doing here? You can't be here." He said harshly.

"I was wondering if you wanted to get a coffee with me," she asked. In her mind she knew this was probably a bad idea. She had no idea who he was, but she needed to know more. She should have probably been scared of him, but there was something in his eyes that had an innocence to them.

"Ok," he said surprisingly. He got into her car and they drove to a nearby café. They sat in a booth and ordered their coffee.

"So what do you want from me?" he asked looking down.

"First of all I should tell you that I know your real name isn't Huck," she revealed. He didn't react.

"-and I know you were probably in the CIA." She said quietly.

"Ok, so if you know everything about me, then what do you want?" he asked.

"I want to hire you for something," she said. This got his attention and he finally looked up from his cup of coffee.

"I want you to keep an eye on Fitz – the man who's life you saved," she told him. She knew it was kind of crazy, but someone actually tried to kill him and she felt as if he needed a body guard of some sort.

"And before you say no, I can give you $5,000 for this job." He looked at her for a minute and nodded.

"Okay, I'll do it," he told her. She was surprised that he agreed so quickly. She silently hoped she made the right decision.

* * *

Olivia was sitting at her desk in her office. She glanced out the window and saw Huck on a stakeout in his car with binoculars peering into Fitz's office. He was parked on the side of a building and unseen with the incoming darkness of the evening. She questioned whether it was the right decision to have someone watching him like that, but her thoughts were invaded by a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

"Hi," Fitz said as he came into her office. He shut the door behind him and walked over to her desk.

"Hi," she replied.

"I haven't seen you since Saturday night," he said gloomily.

"I've been busy," she said impassively. Fitz noticed her distant behavior and walked around to where she was standing. She pretended to be occupied with something and avoided eye contact. She didn't feel good about keeping Huck a secret, but she feared for his safety. He closed in the space between them and held her face in her hands.

"Fitz-" she breathed, still looking anywhere but his eyes.

"Livvie, look at me," he whispered. "please…"

She looked up at his eyes.

"You almost died," she said gravely. His eyes had a look of sadness yet stayed resilient.

"But I didn't," he said as his thumb brushed her cheekbones. "I'm right here, Liv."

She took a deep breath. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to why someone tried to have you killed?" she asked.

He removed his hands from her face and sighed.

"Of course I am, but what can I do? The police didn't find any evidence at the scene and they're closing the case," he said tiredly. "I have a business to run and I can't dwell on this. I have to keep moving forward. _We_ have to keep moving forward."

She thought it was both brave and senseless for him to just forget about what happened. She knew then that she had made the right decision to have Huck watch him. She hated how much she cared about his safety, but she did. She didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Olivia?" Fitz whispered. "What are you thinking?"

She sighed and put on a smile. "I'm thinking we need to make up for the ending of that date."

"I agree," he said as he leaned down and captured her lips. Before she could stop him, he grabbed the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. Her arms went around his neck and she savored the embrace.

He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.

"So where do you want to go?" he asked her.

"How about we just have dinner at my place?" she suggested.

"Well, Ms. Pope, getting eager are we?" he teased.

"Shut up," she said as she playfully slapped his chest. "It's just safer than going out right now, seeing as you just survived an attempted murder."

"I know Livvie, I'm kidding." He stepped closer and held her face once again.

"Good," she said as she ran her hands along his chest, her nails gently scraping. He held back a groan and grabbed her hands. She looked up and saw pure desire in his eyes.

"Liv, if you keep doing things like this, I won't be held accountable for what happens next," he said with a longing want in his voice.

She chuckled and pulled away from him. "I'll see you tonight then," she said.

He gave her another quick kiss before heading out of her office.

As the day was coming to an end, she walked to her car, eager to get home and prepare for their date. She unlocked the door and got inside. She relaxed for a moment and leaned her head against the headrest as she closed her eyes.

She suddenly jumped and let out a gasp as someone reached around from the back seat and covered her mouth. The other hand held a gun to her temple. She was gasping and trying to reach the cell phone in her pocket.

"You make any move, or make any sound, I'll kill you," the man whispered in her ear. "Now drive…"

* * *

_So Huck makes an appearance, as well as Edison. Don't worry too much about pudding pop, he won't try to get with Olivia. And about the ending... hehe. Just hang in there. Olitz is endgame ok? ok :) review time please please please! _


	7. Chapter 7: Protector

**AN: Hey, sorry for taking so long after that cliffy lol. So let's see what happens then shall we?**

* * *

Olivia started up the car and he removed his hand from her mouth. She could still feel the cold metal of the gun now pressed to her ribcage.

"Turn at the next light," he ordered.

Olivia did as he said and silently prayed nothing would happen. Huck was sitting out in his car peering into Fitz's office. He was just doing paperwork and he seemed to be in no danger. He saw Olivia get into her car and start it up, but when she turned the opposite way from her house he became concerned. His extensive training allowed him to sense when something wasn't right.

He pulled out of his hideout spot and followed her car elusively. His worry was confirmed when he eventually was led to a secluded warehouse. Huck pulled out his cell phone and punched in the number and waited as it rang. Olivia got out of the car and he saw a man leading her into the building. He could tell there was a gun on her just from the way he was walking.

"Hello?" the man said.

"Edison, listen. There's no time to explain but you need to come to the old shipping warehouse on Oak Street. Olivia's life is in danger, but you can't call the police. If the police come, she's dead. Do you understand?" he spat out.

"Ok. I'm coming right now," he said as he got into his car.  
"Hurry," he ordered as he hung up.

Huck silently got out of his car, bringing his own gun with him and slipped in through the back. He was crouched in a dark corner as he overheard their conversation.

"What do you want from me?" Olivia said as calmly as she could.

He circled her and stopped as he stood in front of her. He tilted his head to the side and grinned.

"You? I don't want anything from you," he said as he trailed the gun along her collar bone. Olivia tried to contain her breathing.

Huck was waiting for a clear spot to take him down, but he was still too close to Olivia.

"Then why did you bring me here?" she asked.

"Well honestly, you're getting in the way of a little assignment of mine," he said. "And that personal body guard isn't making it any easier either."

Olivia knew then that this was the man who tried to have Fitz killed.

"Why do you want to kill Fitz?" she asked sturdily.

"Oh wow, looks like I've got a smart one here. Did you figure that out all by yourself honey?" he asked arrogantly.

She scoffed and whispered 'bastard' under her breath, and he replied with thunderous slap to her cheek. She staggered backward and touched her face. She removed her hand and saw blood.

Huck finally had a clear shot of him. He positioned his gun, and shot the man's leg.

Olivia ran to a corner, not knowing where the shot came from. Huck came out of the darkness and stood over the man.

"Hello Charllie…" he said as he pointed the gun to his head. "Long time no see."

* * *

Huck kicked Charlie's gun away and reached in his back pocket. He took out a needle and quickly injected the fluid into his neck. Charlie began laughing uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Huck asked as he pressed a foot to his chest.

"It's just funny," he said smirking. "The student becomes the teacher." He continued laughing. "I've never been so proud," he said sarcastically.

"Olivia, get out of here now!" Huck told her. She snapped out of her senses and ran out the door, a bit dizzy.

She made it outside just as Edison pulled up in his car.

"Olivia! Are you okay?" he asked as he got out. She was still in shock and silently got into his car.

"Liv, we need to take you to the hospital! Dammit, I told you not to get involved with this Huck person!" he said in frustration.

She looked at him and said hoarsely, "No."

"What? What is it Olivia?" his voice softened.

"I don't want to go to the hospital, just drive me to my apartment."

He sighed and shook his head as he turned around to head to her home. "Will you at least tell me what the hell is going on?" he questioned.

"Edison… I don't know. I just…" she took a deep breath. "I don't know."

He left it at that and they stayed silent for the whole ride. They pulled up to her street and he turned off the engine.

"You gonna be okay? You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" he asked her.

"I'm fine, really, thank you" she assured him. She opened her door and walked up to the entrance of the building. She made her way to her room and sat down on the bed. She had a blinding headache, and laid down. Her phone rang and she reluctantly picked it up.

"Hello," she rasped.

"Livvie? Are you okay… you haven't been answering your phone," Fitz said worriedly.

"I'm fine, just a little under the weather" she answered.

"You're not a good liar Liv," he chuckled. She breathed a tired laugh.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked once more.

"Positive," she said.

"Okay well just get some rest, and don't worry about coming in to work tomorrow, I'll handle it," he told her.

"Alright, thanks," she said as they said their goodbyes and hung up. She lay back on the bed and couldn't believe what happened to her that night. She was just a normal businesswoman and the turn of events made her feel like she was living something out of a movie. She sighed and remembered the searing pain in her cheek. She needed to get up and put some ice on it, but her body told her otherwise as she was exhausted.

She closed her eyes for about 30 minutes to rest when she heard a knock at the door. _Ugh, what now?!_ She thought to herself. She dragged herself out of bed and to the door. She swung it open, ready to dismiss whatever was standing there, but changed her mind when she saw it was Fitz.

She let him inside and closed the door. He went toward her, but stopped in his tracks as he saw the purple bruise on her cheek.

"Oh my god, Liv…. What happened?" he asked as he stepped closer and lightly touched her face.

"Nothing, I just tripped and fell," she said quickly.

"Olivia…" he said suspiciously. He could tell when she was lying.

"Fitz please, I don't want to talk about it right now," she said as she sat down on the couch. He followed her and sat down, placing a hand around her shoulders.

"Okay," he whispered as he began gently massaging her back. She sighed and relaxed against his touch.

"It's alright Liv, you don't have to talk or think or do anything right now okay?" he said softly. "I don't know what's going on, but it's going to be fine."

She let her eyes flutter closed and her breathing relax.

"Thank you," she said as he continued to give her a massage. She turned in her seat so he had full access to her back and shoulders. His strong hands traveled the expanse of her back, applying just the right amount of pressure. He reached her neck and swept her hair to one side. He trailed his fingertips with the lightest touch along the side of her neck. She felt goosebumps appear and she shivered at his touch.

He leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against her cool skin. She sighed in pleasure as he trailed gentle kisses up to her ear.

"I'll be right back," he whispered in her ear. She didn't want him to leave, but when she turned around he was already walking toward her kitchen. He opened the freezer and got out a bag of frozen peas. She looked at him curiously as he sat back down next to her.

"Here," he said as he applied the coolness to her swollen cheek. "This will help the swelling go down."

She took a deep breath as the coolness relieved her aching pain.

"Thank you for this…" she started.

"Shhh.. Just relax Livvie," he whispered. She eased herself back into the couch and let him tend to her.

"It's late, you should probably head home," she said after a couple of minutes.

"No," he said pointedly. She looked at him questioningly.

"Every date we've attempted on having has ended in probably the worst way possible," he said. "So I'm not leaving you here by yourself. I'm going to stay here and make sure you're okay. And we are going to have an evening to ourselves without any distractions."

She was too tired to argue, so she relaxed back on the couch and pulled her knees up along with her, now more comfortable. She still had a bad headache and was extremely exhausted, so she couldn't control it when five minutes later she drifted off to sleep.

Fitz looked at her and smiled thinking that she looked so peaceful when she slept. He let her stay curled up next to him with her head on his shoulder for a few minutes before getting up. He gently nudged her arm to wake her.

"Livvie," he whispered. She stirred in her seat.

"Hhmmm…" she responded groggily. She woke up and looked at the time. "Oh, I'm sorry I must have drifted off"

"That's alright, I just need to get home before Karen gets worried," he said.

"I'm sure that's the last thing she's worried about," she laughed. He nodded in agreement, remembering himself at 17 years old.

"Well I have to be up early tomorrow, so as much as I don't want to… I have to go," he said.

"That's fine Fitz. I'm perfectly okay here by myself, I can handle anything," she told him as she stood up.

He smiled at her and knew it was true. Bringing her in for a hug, he stopped short and looked at the bruise again.

"Whenever you're ready, I need to know how this really happened.

"You will; once I have all the details."

They said goodbye and he headed home. She sat back down and thought of everything that happened. Someone tried to have Fitz killed by spiking his drink with penicillin. Huck saved him and watched over him. The man who hit her with the gun was the one who tried to kill him. She still didn't know why.

She sighed and rubbed her temples still aching from her headache. She took some pain reliever and crawled into bed. Her eyelids were getting heavy as she was drifting off.

* * *

_She didn't know where she was. She was walking in a shadowy room when she heard something behind her. Her pace quickened as she darted around the corner. The footsteps continued faster behind her. She moved faster, almost running now when an arm caught her and pinned her against a wall. It was him. The same man from before. A gun was now aimed at her face as she stared down the barrel. A loud noise rang through her ears._

She jolted up in bed and took a shuddering breath. It was just a dream. She glanced over at the clock and saw it was only 3:00 in the morning. She heard banging at her door and was weary at first, but got up and looked through the peephole. It was Huck.

She swung open the door and let him inside and noted the detached look in his eye. She carefully observed him and spoke gently.

"Huck? What's going on?"

"You won't have to worry about Charlie anymore," he said plainly.

"What did you do?" she asked hesitantly.

"I took care of it. You won't have to worry about anyone trying to hurt you or Fitz anymore." She looked at him for a second and nodded.

"Did you find out why he was after him?" she asked.

He nodded. "It turns out that one of Fitz's previous employees was out for revenge."

"Why?"

"A few months ago, he had to lay off about 25 people. Hollis Doyle was one of those people. He was unemployed for a couple months and just couldn't take it anymore. Became a raging alcoholic… violent toward his wife. She left him and got a restraining order. So he lost it and hired Charlie with the last bit of money he had to kill Fitz."

Olivia shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense, what good would that do?"

"It wasn't about making sense, it was revenge." He said.

"Well what's stopping him from getting someone else to finish the job?" she asked.

"You won't have to worry about Hollis…" he said looking away.

"Huck…"

"It's taken care of," he said as he rushed out of her apartment.

Olivia returned to her bed and tried to process it all. What exactly did Huck mean when he said 'took care of it?' she had a pretty good idea what he was capable of, but she didn't necessarily agree with it. She couldn't however ignore the fact that she felt relieved this would all be over.

Fitz had told her to take the day off, but she needed to see him and tell him everything that happened. But would he understand? She didn't really want him to know that she had someone following him. She thought it would be best to leave that part out.

After a few hours of rest, Olivia got up and ready for work, making sure she used concealer on the bruise. She finished up and headed to the office. She finally caught a break from her work and made her way to Fitz's office.

He was reading a document as she slipped inside and closed the door.

"Olivia, what are you doing here? I thought I said to take the day off."

"I know, but I have to tell you something," she said as she sat across from him. He put down the paper and leaned forward.

"And by something, you mean –" he started.

" –the reason you were almost killed, yes," she finished.

So she did. She told him everything except her hiring Huck to trail him. She told him about Charlie and Hollis and Huck 'taking care of' the situation.

He sat in shock and dismay at the words coming out of her mouth. He was amazed at how calm she seemed about it all. She finished telling him everything he needed to know and the silence was deafening.

"Fitz? say something…" she urged him.

"I'm sorry but all this is just a lot to process. How are you okay with all of this?" he asked her.

"I'm not… but things like this happen all the time in this city, you know?"

"Maybe to politicians, but not to me," he said.

"Well it did, but it's done. It's over. You can put this behind you now," she said fervently as she stood up.

He got up from his chair and started pacing. He sighed and looked at Olivia.

"I wish I could, but I can't," he said solemnly.

"Fitz, what are you –"

"Olivia, your life was put in danger because of the mistake I made," he started "and I'm not okay with that." "You may accept that, but I don't and you shouldn't have to…"

"Are you not hearing me?" she asked. "I'm telling you the situation is handled. There's no threat against you or me anymore." She placed her hands on his face and stared into his eyes. "Everything's. Fine."

Fitz stood there thinking that she was truly one of a kind. He'd never met anyone with her strength and brilliance. He looked into her encouraging eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"So I guess this means we can finally have that perfect date?" he suggested. She smiled.

"Maybe," she said half-heartedly. He looked a little hurt for a second but she laughed and he shook his head.

"Olivia Pope, you are… just incredible," he said. Before she could respond, he brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her softly.

* * *

_AN: Awww, I ended my story on a happy note? yeah, don't get too used to that lol. Anyway, that's the end of my little dramatic mystery arc. So the rest will be Olitz goodness and angst._

_REVIEW REVIEW PLEEAAASSEEEEE :)_


	8. Chapter 8: It's Complicated

**AN: So it's been a while since I updated. I'm pretty happy with this chapter and I hope you will be too. Also, people new to this story can actually start with this chapter and still get the background information. Hope you like it!**

* * *

When Olivia was in college, she was always focused on her work. It wasn't often that she'd go out with her friends to mingle with strangers. Such trivial activities were unimportant to her. The same mindset traveled with her to her professional career. The no-nonsense persona she held attracted many potential love interests, but none of them sparked her fascination.

So when she found herself atop of her office desk near the end of the day, with Fitz standing between her legs, she _should_ have felt a bit offbeat. But the feel of his tongue on her own, his hands snaking up her skirt, and his breath floating across her neck was anything but unpleasant.

Over the last few weeks, Liv and Fitz had gone on several dates; usually ending with them making out in his car like teenagers. Her lips seemed to be his favorite thing lately. They had gotten closer too. He told her about how hard it was losing his mother and then his wife. She shared with him the details of her years in high school. Her love of being on the swim team and debate team.

He would often slip into her office after a long day and just talk with her for hours. Laughing, telling stories of their past, and becoming closer, more comfortable with each other.

Olivia was swept up in the haze he caused; but a chime of her cell phone brought her back to reality.

"Fitz," she hummed between kisses,

"Hmmm…" he mindlessly droned. She didn't want to stop, but her phone kept buzzing.

"We have a last minute meeting…" she started. Him moving to the groove of her neck didn't allow her to finish.

"…in 5 minutes," she breathed.

"So?" he asked as he continued kissing her like nothing else mattered.

"So… you're the CEO and you can't just skip a meeting." She pushed herself away from him and held his face. He looked at her and started to compose himself.

"Fine," he groaned. "What would I do without you?"

"Actually get some work done?" she teased. With that, they headed to the conference room. They took their seats and tried to focus on the presentation, but their eyes were like magnets.

The looks he threw across the room never failed to unhinge her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. And the look he had right now was particularly distracting. His blue eyes suddenly darker pools drawing her in sent a shiver down her spine. She mustered up all her will power to tear her eyes away, and when she did she was met with a judgmental look from Abby.

Abby smirked and shook her head. Olivia crossed her arms and stared at the document in front of her for the rest of the meeting.

Afterward, Abby followed her to her to the break room as Olivia was pouring herself coffee, yawning and adding more sugar.

"Rough night last night?" Abby teased with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Olivia chuckled, but didn't answer.

"Wow, who knew? It's always the quiet ones," she said poking her in the arm.

"Really Abby, why do you always feel the need to get into my personal life?" she questioned.

"Hey, it's not my fault for bringing it up. You two were basically having sex from across the room in that meeting," she said with a laugh. Olivia looked at her in a bit of shock and Abby just shrugged.

"Was it really that obvious?" she asked in a lowered voice.

"To anyone with eyes," she admitted.

Olivia made a mental note to never let that happen again as she left the room.

She opened the door to her office only to find him standing there. _Speak of the devil… _she thought to herself.

"Hi," he said moving toward her.

"Hello," she countered without looking at him. She dodged him and moved to her desk as she fidgeted with some papers, trying to distract herself from his presence.

"Olivia?"

"Did you need something?" He noted her detached behavior and knew something was wrong.

"What's bothering you?" he asked. She let out a puff of air she didn't know she was holding and looked at him.

"Nothing. Did you need me for something?" she repeated.

"See, you say it's nothing but we both know that's not true," he said. "I know something's bothering you so whatever it is you might as well just tell me."

She looked at him for a second before she started.

"We need to be more discreet here at work," she said. "People are starting to notice things, and they'll talk."

"So?" he asked.

She was shocked at his lack of concern on the matter. She scoffed.

"So… I am a professional and will not be degraded to the subject of any type of rumors," she started. "I know there aren't any rules that say we aren't allowed to date, but I refuse be the face of the new office scandal."

"What are you saying? Do you not want to see each other anymore?" he asked.

"No, Fitz that's not what I'm saying," she sighed and softened her tone. "I enjoy talking with you and I really like spending time with you, but we just can't do this during work."

He let out a breath in relief and nodded his head.

"Okay," he said as he moved closer to her, grabbing her waist which was exactly the thing she told him not to do.

"Fitz…" she warned as his hands traveled to her lower back.

"Fitz, didn't you hear anything I just –" she was stopped short with his mouth and she didn't stop him. She couldn't. All of a sudden her little speech was irrelevant as his lips moved perfectly with hers. She let out a small yelp as he lifted her up to sit on the edge of the desk. She hated to admit that his touch felt like magic, always undoing her tough exterior and reducing her to wobbly limbs.

They didn't even hear the footsteps coming closer to the door.

The knob turned and the door swung open as Karen walked right in without knocking.

"Hey Olivi- oh my gosh," she said as she saw a scene that no child would want to see of their father.

Fitz quickly pulled away and Liv hopped off the desk.

"Karen, I forgot you were stopping by I'm sorry," Olivia said.

"No. I'm sorry I should have knocked. I'll just call you later ok?" she said hurriedly.

"Okay," Olivia said as Karen took off down the hall.

"Oh god," Olivia whispered. "I can't believe…"

She was stopped short by a throaty chuckle from Fitz. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you laughing?!" she said as she turned to face him. He was clearly holding back a smile behind his hand.

"No I'm –" he started but chuckled again. Olivia scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just… your face –" his chuckles turned into an all-out fit of laughter.

"You think this is funny?!" she tried to say seriously, but she couldn't help but smile at his face turning a crimson tint as he snickered.

"Stop laughing!" she giggled. He cleared his throat and eventually stopped.

"What did she want to talk to you about anyway?"

"She wanted me to look at dresses with her," she said "for the winter formal in 2 weeks."

Karen had constantly reminded her dad of the dance for weeks, but he didn't realize how close it was getting. Time was going by so quickly as the autumn air grew chilly in the morning. The stores were putting out Christmas decorations already.

"I can't believe it's only 2 weeks away," he said.

"Didn't she tell you about it?"

"It must have slipped my mind."

"That tends to happen to older people," she teased.

He clenched his fist over his heart as if it broke. "Ouch!" he joked.

"I'm kidding, you're far from old," she said. "And I'm happy to help with any of the preparations."

"That would be great wow, it's like I have my own personal little fixer," he said smiling as he went to hug her once more.

"You still think she wants my help? I hope she's not too disturbed," Olivia said.

"Come on Liv, she's 17 she'll be fine," he said. "plus she loves you; she definitely wants you involved with this."

Olivia smiled at the statement of love because she couldn't help but love Karen too. She reminded her of herself at that age and admired her commitment to everything she did.

"Alright well I have work to do so –" she gently started to push him toward the door. But before he left she stopped. "And remember… keep the inappropriate contact to a minimum." She looked at him with seriousness and he nodded his head as he stepped out of her office.

* * *

Olivia pulled up to the Grant's driveway and waited for Karen to appear. It was a chilly Sunday afternoon when they decided to go find her dress. A few minutes later Karen swung open the front door and spotted Olivia's car. She flew down the driveway with the biggest grin.

"Hey Liv!" she rushed over to the passenger's side and settled in her seat.

"Hi, you ready?" she asked.

"I've been ready for weeks!" With that, they headed off to find the perfect dress.

After a couple hours of searching and fittings, they finally decided on a royal blue simple hi-low style dress. It was classic and reflected her personality perfectly.

Karen twirled in the dressing room and sighed. "I love it!" she said as she viewed her reflection. Olivia smiled and flipped over the price tag.

"Wow, did you see the price on this Karen?" she reached for the ticket and shrugged.

"Dad gave me his credit card and told me to get whatever I needed," she said "and Liv… I absolutely _need_ this dress." Olivia shook her head and grinned. Fitz would never admit it but Karen still had him wrapped around her little finger.

"Your father just can't say no to you, can he?" Liv mused. Karen laughed softly and turned to face her. She paused at studied her face.

"Are you and my dad like a serious thing now?" she said quietly while fixing her dress in the mirror. Olivia pondered this for a moment before she responded.

"Well, I care about him a lot…" she said. She figured this was a safe answer.

"Yeah I know that but –" she paused and met her eyes in the mirror. "Do you love him?"

Olivia truly didn't know how to answer. She felt something with him that she had never felt with anyone else. She felt her heart beat faster and her stomach flutter when he was around. She felt as if everything was safe and okay with him. His presence seemed to alleviate any stress she was under. But was that love? She didn't know.

"Karen –" she sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Love is a difficult thing - a messy thing to try to understand," she started.

"Olivia, I love you but please don't give me the whole 'you'll understand when you're older' speech," Karen said sternly.

"I'm not some child Liv, I know love when I see it." she looked at her with a maturity so far beyond her years.

"But Karen, that's the thing, even at my age I'm not quite sure what love is. I don't think anyone does, really. You can try to explain it all you want, but real love is something… indescribable."

"Do you think you've ever been in love?" she asked. Olivia smiled at herself.

"Well I mean, maybe, it's possible," she said.

"I'll take that as a no then."

Olivia looked at her with a questioning look for her to explain. Karen turned around to face her.

"If you were truly in love you'd know it. You'd always think about that person even when you don't want to. Even when they're the biggest jerk, you'd still love them, you'd still need them. You would wait for their opinion on every little thing because you just had to know what they were thinking. You forgive them when they hurt you because you can't bear the thought of not having them. And if you were truly in love you wouldn't say 'maybe' or 'it's possible' You would just _know_."

Olivia couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Coming from someone of such a tender age, yet astonishingly wise.

"You sound like you speak from experience," Olivia told her.

"Oh, no. Don't try to change this around on me," she chuckled. "Seriously Olivia. I see the way he looks at you. I see the way your face changes when you talk about him. It's like you need each other just to breathe. If that's not love, then maybe I don't know what it is either."

She turned back around to the mirror.

"This is my dress; let's go check out." Olivia was in a sort of daze for the rest of the way home. She couldn't stop thinking of what Karen said.

The car rolled back up to the Grant's house and the engine turned off.

"Listen, I'm sorry I was so intense back there Liv," Karen said. "I'm usually not like that, it's just that after my mom died, there haven't really been any other women in my dad's life."

Olivia grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"Karen, don't ever apologize for voicing such profound thoughts," Olivia said. "It's one of the many things I love about you."

"Thank you for today Liv, really" she said warmly. "You don't know how much it means to me." Olivia saw her face darken slightly and knew she was thinking of her mother. She couldn't imagine how it must have felt to lose her at the tender age of 10. Her heart sank as she tried to picture her life without her mother.

"Karen, no need to thank me; I'm happy to do it," she said squeezing her hand. Karen's face contorted in a mix of sadness and gratification as she hugged Olivia and said her goodbyes.

* * *

The fluffy blankets felt like heaven as Olivia drowned herself in her bed. A day of shopping made her this tired and she couldn't help but feel as if she was aging. And the words still echoed through her mind as she closed her eyes. Was she in love with him? She let out an anguished breath as she tried to figure it out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. She lazily pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

She knew that deep voice anywhere. It was calming yet exciting at the same time.

"So Karen said you found her a dress," he said.

"Yeah, it's really quite beautiful."

"Do I even want to ask the price?" he worried.

Olivia laughed softly ."Probably best if you don't." He chuckled on the other end and Olivia smiled. She had no idea why, but making him smile was one of her favorite things.

"Karen is really an amazing young lady," Olivia told him.

"Yeah she can surprise you with what comes out of her mouth sometimes," he admitted. "What did she say this time?"

Olivia thought back to their conversation. "Nothing, she's just a thoughtful person is all."

He let out a breathy laugh and nodded.

His breathing was soon the only noise on the other end. And she listened. Just listened to him breathing and nothing else. Her eyes fluttered shut as the sound washed over her.

"Livvie?" he said, breaking the trance.

"Yeah?" she said sleepily.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said. "Don't forget about the annual Christmas party."

A sudden pang of panic set through her. She had forgotten to get some gifts for the secret santa game they played. Fitz had told her about it a couple of weeks before, but it escaped her memory.

"Dammit, I totally forgot," she whispered.

"Now who's the old one?" he taunted.

"Watch it Grant…"

"I'm just teasing Livvie," he said apologetically.

"I know."

Neither one of them hung up for a good five minutes. It was like the breath on the other end was their lifeline. She was the first one to hang up after saying goodnight. She lay awake, mindlessly flipping through channels. In the back of her mind truly pondered what Karen said. What constituted as true love and had anyone ever experienced it.

She pushed the thoughts further down and tried to focus on the next day. The Christmas party.

* * *

_AN: As always, thank you for reading and please leave a review! :) _


	9. Chapter 9: Baby, It's Cold Outside

**AN: Not much to say about this chapter so I hope you enjoy it! **

* * *

The sky was a sad grey as Olivia stepped out of her apartment into the chilly streets of D.C. Four days until Christmas Eve. She settled in her car, thankful for the heated seats.

The supercenter was pretty empty, being that it was 6:00 a.m. She had to get some gifts for the office's annual Christmas party before heading to work. As tired as she had been lately, all she wanted to do was go home that night. But everyone expected her to at least make an appearance, so she decided to grin and bear it.

She selected a few things within the 20-30 dollar price range she was given and eventually pulled up to the parking garage and headed into Grant & Associates.

Everyone was in a generally better mood it seemed. Apparently the annual party was always a big hit. She overheard the gasps and laughs as people recalled the one from last year.

Olivia settled in her chair after grabbing a hot coffee and clicked open her email. She spotted the email of the details of the party and noted that it would be held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Eyebrows shot up in shock as she thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

As the day went on, she found herself actually growing excited about the party. Her assistant walked into her office at around 5 that evening.

"Ms. Pope?"

"Yes, Jen? And it's Olivia or Liv remember?"

"Sorry- Liv… Mr. Grant sent me to inform you that you can leave early today if you're all caught up" she said.

"I am, thank you."

"No problem," she said as she left the room. She could finally stop by her apartment to change into an outfit better suited for such an exquisite venue.

Stepping into her living room, she hurriedly kicked off her heels. Olivia opened her closet and almost panicked at her lack of formal wear. All she really had was business attire. She made a mental note to replenish her evening gown collection.

Luckily, she had a few nice ones to choose from. Eventually settling on a deep burgundy cocktail dress with a simple V-neck, she positioned herself in front of the mirror. It was classic yet elegant. She paired it with black pumps and a cream colored, long wool coat.

* * *

The room set for the party was dimmed with yellow lights and red table cloths with a massive, decorated tree in the corner of the room.

Scattered all about were several people she recognized. All of which were all enraptured with laughter and clutching their champagne as they stood by a small fireplace.

A waiter came up beside her and offered her a drink which she gladly took. She placed her gifts with the others and found a table to sit down. She wasn't really in the mood to mingle and she didn't see Fitz or anyone she actually wanted to talk to, so she pulled out her phone.

She had a text from Abby. _'Hey, I'm not gonna make it to the party but have fun!'_

Olivia rolled her eyes and thought this night would just drag on forever. Abby was a wild card and often inappropriate, but at least she brought life to any situation.

She sent her reply and walked over to the small group of co-workers. Half of her listened to their conversation while the other half zoned out in boredom. The group started laughing about something she didn't catch, but she played along with a chuckle.

Then, as if she had a sixth sense, she turned to see Fitz walking in with a presence all his own. His hair was in waves neatly combed, and she had to admit the man could wear a suit.

His eyes met hers across the room and his trademark smirk washed across his face. He made his way over to the group and everyone greeted him with genuine cheer.

She realized that her boredom ceased as soon as she saw him. His smile lit up the room as he greeted everyone back. Adding to the list of things that drove her insane was his deep voice. It would reverberate the walls and make her weak in the knees.

Fitz saw Olivia standing there looking amazing as ever. Her dark hair falling over her shoulders and her dress caressing her every curve. The deep red color was intoxicating and a magnet toward him. He moved mindlessly over to the group and all he could see was her. He tried to focus on the words being said, but failed miserably as he stole glances at her because he needed to take in every inch. She felt his eyes on her. She hated how unhinged he caused her to be sometimes. She took a breath.

Some music started up and everyone in their little crowd paired up, leaving Fitz and Olivia to be the last pairing.

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows as if to ask if she wanted to dance.

"Oh, no I don't dance," she said shaking her head.

"Come on, Liv! I'll lead, you just follow my movements. It's easy, I promise." He smiled his million dollar grin. She took a deep breath and chuckled.

The song was a slow rendition of various Christmas tunes. He offered his hand to her and she gladly took it. They swayed with the music for a minute and Fitz surprised her with some of his moves. He twirled her around and caught her pressed up against him. His feet were skilled in the art of dance.

"I didn't know you could dance like this," she said amused at the hidden talent.

"It's kind of embarrassing, my mom made me take dance lessons every weekend since I was 7," he said into her ear.

"That's not embarrassing at all. It was a smart thing to do."

He chuckled. "It did help me win over the ladies in high school."

"Seriously?" she laughed.

"I hated it when I was younger, but it was something we did together before she –"

The words caught in his throat.

"Fitz…"

She knew it was a sore topic for him. Losing his mother did a number on him in his youth, and it was hard to talk about. His hold gripped tighter around her as he buried the thought.

"Sorry, let's not talk about that."

She leaned back and smiled at him. His eyes had a softness to them with the faintest dash of melancholy.

"This is nice," he said.

"I must admit, it is," she replied.

No other words were needed for the next few minutes. Only the feeling of each other's bodies swaying in sync to the music was necessary. She could have honestly stayed like that forever.

The music stopped and they slowly separated.

"You want to get out of here?" he suddenly asked.

She was intrigued with the offer.

"Where exactly did you have in mind?"

"Anywhere you want." "Or we could go up to the room I rented here."

She looked at him and seriously wanted to choose the ladder.

"Okay."

"Wait, okay to which one?"

"You'll find out soon enough," she said with a wink. "Just wait here for a minute, I'll be right back."

Olivia excused herself to freshen her makeup in the restroom, making sure everything was perfect.

They had come close to finally being together a few times, but something always seemed to get in the way. But tonight, seemed like the perfect night. At a fancy hotel, not worrying about any work to be done. It was ridiculous how excited she was.

When she came out of the restroom, there was double the amount of people in the room than when she left. People had already started exchanging gifts. Everyone was roaming around and she found it hard to spot Fitz.

She traipsed around the large room and rounded the corner to a smaller sitting room. She was going to enter, but the sight in front of her stopped her in her tracks. Her stomach clenched as she took in the scene.

A woman. In a tight, blood red dress much too short for this cold weather had an arm wrapped on Fitz's lower back. Her python's grip on him had her flush against his side. She looked as if she was whispering something in his ear and he smiled. She didn't think much of it until she saw her hand groping his behind. He didn't exactly pull away.

Olivia was frozen. She didn't know what to think. The back of her mind begged the question if he was seeing someone else. They weren't exactly in a serious relationship, but she thought it was getting there. She thought he was as invested as she was.

The woman tilted her head back in laughter as Fitz responded to whatever was whispered by the red lips of her mouth.

And when the woman crashed into Fitz's lips, Olivia quickly retreated.

Maybe it was from the glass of champagne, but Olivia felt dizzy, drunk with rage. The knot in her throat was quickly swallowed down because that was one of her rules. Olivia Pope doesn't cry; certainly not over a man. Definitely not over a man who...

She shook her head and continued down the hall.

Back in the room, Fitz was stunned. He pushed her off, maybe a few second too late.

"I – I'm involved with someone… I can't –" he said catching his breath.

The woman's face turned as red as her dress.

"Oh my god, I'm so…" she was truly embarrassed. "I had no idea, I'm sorry." She quickly left the room.

Fitz headed out of the room and couldn't help but feel guilty. He grabbed a glass of water and glanced up to see Olivia looking at him. His smile dissipated slowly as the look on her face struck him. The stone cold look couldn't cover up the hurt he saw in her eyes. She saw. She must have.

Olivia looked away and headed for the exit. Determined to go after her, he put down his drink and followed quickly behind her.

She felt him behind him. A few paces so maybe she could still leave unscathed. But his quick steps eventually caught up to her just before she reached the door.

"Livvie, please stop."

Her feet came to halt despite her need to leave. He circled around to face he, but her eyes were glued to anywhere but his face.

"Where are you going, I was looking for you." he asked.

"Really?" she said coldly. "Well good job, you found me."

"Olivia please –"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What?"

"Livvie," he said reaching for her face.

She flinched away. "Don't… touch me," she said slowly but with such ferocity he didn't dare try it again.

The pain in her eyes looking back at him stung his heart with guilt, sorrow, sickness. He had to explain.

She opened her mouth as if she might say something, but withdrew the motion.

And before he could put anymore salt on the wound, she slipped out the door before the tears could slip from her eyes.

* * *

Olivia finally got home and threw herself on the bed. She knew it was too good to be true. _I really know how to pick them._

_I should have known. _

_No one is that perfect. _

_It was bound to happen. _

She told herself everything to make her want to stop seeing him. The only thing she wanted right now was a hot shower. The water rolled down every inch of her and soothed her aching muscles. It did nothing to her aching heart.

It was silly, really, how much she wanted to be with him. It was working for him after all that caused her to be held at gunpoint because one of his former employees was out for revenge.

Her head shook with disbelief. If that wasn't a clear sign that he was no good, she didn't know what was. So, she couldn't help but feel a bit foolish about this 'relationship.'

She shut off the shower and wrapped herself in a robe.

Her cell phone rang for the 6th time since she left. The same person each time. She sat down on her bed and answered this time but didn't say anything.

"Hello?" he said.

"What?"

"Liv, I know you probably saw my… exchange with Kate –"

"Oh so she has a name," she interrupted him.

" –but you have to know that it meant nothing. She was drunk when she got there. She has a record of being a bit of a loose cannon."

She listened in silence, taking in whether she believed him or not. She wanted to believe his words, because then she wouldn't feel the way she did.

"Say something, please."

She took a breath and opened her mouth, but words escaped her. After a beat, she hung up.

Fitz was in his car as he heard the other end of the line go dead; as dead as he felt inside. He always seemed to fuck something up. He was hovering between anger heartbreak. He couldn't just let her go. Olivia was different. She awoken something in him that he never felt in his life.

His determination gave him courage to start driving toward her house. He knew it was risky, and she might not be ready to talk yet. But it was a risk he was willing to take. She was worth it.

The car pulled up to the apartment lot and he was let in. He knew which room was hers and stopped in front of the door.

After a moment of hesitation, he knocked.

She groaned as she walked toward the door to swing it open. Her exhaustion turned to shock, then annoyance as Fitz stood in the hall.

His face read everything from guilt to persistence as she glared at him. But his sad blue eyes never failed to soften her disposition as they cast their spell.

"Hi," he said just above a whisper.

Her mind said slam the door in his face, but she didn't listen.

"Hi."

* * *

_AN: Sorry it took so long for an update. Please review! :)_


	10. Chapter 10: Coming Home

**A/N:** So, this chapter makes me really happy. I hope it does the same for you :) Please review!

* * *

Chapter 10: Coming Home

He waited.

He stood at her door waiting for her to say something, anything. Olivia finally shifted her weight to allow him to pass through the entrance. The door closed with a click as she turned to face him. The silence was deafening as they looked at each other for a minute, figuring out what to say.

"Why are you here?" she was the first to break the peace. Her tone was slightly pained, yet calm.

"I needed to see you. To look you in the eye and tell you that what you saw meant _nothing_," he started. His face was sincere. His eyes revealing every emotion and her gut said he wasn't lying. "Olivia, I need you to know that I'm sorry and I would never –"

"Stop." She faced him and took a breath.

"I believe you," she said, finally. He was taken aback by her statement, and went quiet. She sighed before continuing.

"I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," she explained. "It's just that –" she paused, not sure whether she should continue.

He moved closer to her, invading her bubble. "What is it?"

She laughed inwardly and looked up at him. "It seems as if all the men in my life have had a record of being… unfaithful," she said as she looked away, thinking about all the lying and cheating she experienced in past relationships.

Her eyes met his again. "So I just assumed the worst; the inevitable," she shrugged.

"Olivia, you have to know that I would never do anything to hurt you." He inched closer to take hold of her face in his hands, willing her to meet his eyes. "You deserve the best and if I can't give you that, then I don't deserve someone like you." She gave him a look of slight uncertainty.

He searched her brown eyes, mesmerized. His thumbs lightly grazing the peaks of her cheekbones.

"God, you really have no idea do you? How special you are? How much you mean to me?" It was more of a declaration than a question.

His words left her utterly speechless. So many thoughts were crawling through her mind and she didn't know how to get them out in words. She didn't doubt the sincerity of what he was saying, but it was just all too perfect.

She wanted to tell him the same thing, but didn't. She wanted to tell him that he was everything she could have ever dreamed of, but the words were stuck like the breath in her throat. So she expressed herself the best way she knew how at the moment and brought her lips to meet his. An unspoken communication that was slow and gentle, yet needy: expressing all emotion without voice.

It was unhurried, tender as her hands pushed his jacket off. She continued to disrobe him. His tie. A few buttons of his shirt. His tongue darted out for a taste of her lips and she intensified the action. He devoured her mouth in a searing embrace like it was his air. Their tongues delved in one another's mouths in a way that felt natural, in sync.

Her robe slipped to reveal a shoulder and he gravitated toward the skin there, sweeping sweet kisses across. As she continued with the shirt, she backed him closer to a wall. The last three buttons were giving her trouble, and he noticed. He pushed her hands away and ripped open the material, sending three buttons flying on the ground. She chuckled slightly before he turned her around and pushed her against the wall with a force that made her breath catch in her throat.

A moan escaped her mouth as he skimmed down the length of her neck, savoring the tender places and discovering what reduced her to breathy whimpers. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he picked her up, earning a gasp. The bed creaked as he gently set her down, adjusting his weight around her. His eyes were darker, traveling her body as he removed the robe blocking him from the view of her petite frame.

She lay there exposed in lacy lingerie . His hands wandered her thighs making a memory of the feel of her soft skin. He leaned forward to capture her mouth once more. Kisses traced her jawline up toward her ear, and in a voice so quiet she didn't know if she heard correctly, he whispered 'beautiful.'

He moved lower, drawing patterns along her neck and kisses down the valley of her chest. She sighed at the feeling and gasped as he slowly inched his way down. All the while, his hands exploring every part of her, reveling in pleasure. He traveled down the length of her until he reached the place of need. His eyes flicked up to meet hers and she smiled lightly to let him continue. She could feel puffs of breath where she needed him most, but he skipped over her most sensitive place and planted a kiss on her inner thigh. It was sweet torture.

The motion was repeated on the opposite leg until his lips grazed the juncture of her hips. The roughness of his hands, heightening every nerve in her being. The pad of his finger slipped to feel the wetness of the scrap of material and he groaned. His thumbs hooked on the flimsy lace and painstakingly slowly dragged the material down and dropped it to the floor. Her hips parted slightly and her fingers grabbed his hair. Her head fell back on the pillow as he finally made contact with her most sensitive point.

She gasped and moaned as he licked, explored, plunged, and arched her back at his skilled fingers as he groped, caressed, and stroked travelling to uncharted territory.

He would never grow tired of the sight and feel of her trembling in his arms; her fingers raking down his back in pleasurable pain, leaving a branding of herself. She was drowning in the depths of his eyes as he breathlessly willed for her to keep her eyes on him; and swimming into bliss at his efforts. Ecstasy hit him like a train with every muscle in his body crumbling from the woman beneath him.

And after they exerted themselves, overcome with intense pleasure and sore muscles, they lay there entangled in limbs. Breathless and exhausted in the best way possible.

Her eyes were closed and her breathing was steady. He thought he could never see a more beautiful sight.

"Livvie?" he whispered. She didn't respond. His fingers traced the small of her back and danced along her spine.

"You awake?" he tried again. She shifted slightly but her eyes remained closed. He leaned into her and kissed the top of her forehead. And with his lips still planted there, he uttered the words that almost escaped him during the cries of his high, but he didn't allow. _I love you… _it was barely audible, but he had to say it out loud, even if she didn't hear.

* * *

Fitz's eyes opened to see snow falling outside the window. The clock read 5:50 and He remembered where he was as he heard the shower running. He got up and collected the pieces of clothing scattered around the room and attempted to make himself look decent.

The shower turned off and he slipped out of the room before Olivia emerged from the bathroom. She got dressed and found him sitting on the couch, looking at a family photo. It looked a bit old and a younger Olivia was smiling brightly into the camera.

"That was a camping trip back in '88," she chuckled. Fitz put the picture down to look up at her and smile. Her hair was in perfect ringlets, her face free of makeup and she looked perfect. She walked around the couch and took a seat next to him, curling her legs underneath her.

He shifted toward her and tucked an errant curl behind her ear. Her eyes traveled to the skin of his neck, exposed by two undone buttons. She smirked at the marks she left behind from the previous night.

Without warning, he captured her lips once again. She reluctantly pulled back to speak.

"You should go if you want to get to work on time." It was a heavy whisper, and her sultry tone couldn't be hidden by the innocent words.

"I'm taking the day off," he breathed. "Mark can cover for me."

"Fitz…" she sighed as he continued to kiss her.

"Hhmmm?"

"I'm going out of town for a few days," she said suddenly. He leaned back to look at her.

"I have some vacation days saved up and I'm going to visit my family—spend Christmas with them."

"Oh…" he said a bit solemnly. "Okay." He mentally kicked himself for feeling disappointed. It was selfish for him to want her all to himself, but he couldn't deny that he did.

"So… where does that leave us?" He was cautious.

"I don't know exactly, but we don't have to figure it out right now. We can just take it a day at a time."

A desolate smile spread across his face. She was trying to open up. That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but he'd take it. It was better than nothing.

"That sounds perfect," he assured her.

* * *

The next morning, Fitz woke up to the smell of waffles or… pancakes? He couldn't tell, but it was amazing. After brushing his teeth, he traipsed down the stairs, following the smell. Karen was at the stove cooking up a storm.

"Karen?" he grabbed the pot of freshly brewed coffee.

"Merry Christmas!" she handed him a plate of food.

"How are you even awake right now?" he asked as he stuffed a forkful of fluffy pancakes in his mouth. "Most kids your age won't even open their eyes at this time, much less do this." He gestured to the food.

"Well, it's Christmas morning and Gerry's finally visiting and, I don't know, I guess I just wanted to do something special." She smiled proudly.

"Speaking of something special…" he put down his food. "You ready to see your present?"

She gave him a questioning look, but followed him as he exited the room. But when he opened the front door she thought he was going insane.

Her questions were answered as she saw a huge bow on top of a shiny white new car. Her eyes widened in utter amazement.

"Dad… is this? Did you?" she couldn't get the words out. She looked back from him to the car.

"Merry Christmas," he smiled. She rushed to him in a hug before bolting to the front seat. She felt silly crying over a car, but she couldn't stop the tear rolling down her cheek. Fitz chuckled at her excitement.

"I wanted to wait for graduation, but what the hell? You wanna take it for a spin?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

The statement wasn't entirely untrue. He couldn't explain it really, but after his night with Olivia, he felt like a whole new person. A better person. Like everything was falling into place. She was the most incredible person he'd ever met, really. He didn't know what force in the universe brought her into his life, but he couldn't let her go. He never wanted to, and promised himself that he never would.

* * *

The drive to her sister's house was only 45 minutes from where she lived. A small suburb outside of D.C. Smoke was coming from the chimney and the cozy house was fully decorated for the holidays. The smell of sugar cookies shocked her senses as she opened the door.

"Liv!" Her sister jumped up to hug her in a tackle. "You finally made it! It's been what? Two years?"

"It's been 10 months Emily," she chuckled.

"Well it feels like two years to me." She brought her in for a hug.

"Oh my gosh, Liv you're too thin! I can feel your bones!" she squeezed her shoulders.

"Em…" Olivia rolled her eyes. Olivia's older sister was critical, but always meant well.

"Come on, let's get you some food." She smiled and led her to the kitchen.

They ate a little too much of the home-made cookies and finished off with a glass of red.

"Ugh, Em! I forgot how well you could bake…" she said taking another sip of wine.

The doorbell interrupted them.

"Will you get that?"

Olivia pulled open the door and gasped with excitement.

"Mom!" Olivia pulled her inside from the cold weather. Her mother was beautiful, and old age didn't appear on her face. She was fragile, though; a mere 100 pounds in her 5' 4 frame.

"Hey sweetie, where's your sister?" She led her to the kitchen where the two embraced.

"How are you feeling?" Emily asked, taking in her slender physique.

"I'm fine," she said weakly.

Em and Olivia exchanged a quick, knowing glance. That was their mother; always saying she was fine when she really wasn't. Katherine Pope was a strong minded woman, but even she couldn't overcome the effects of a chronic heart condition. She had to be very careful these days, and they worried about her.

After dinner, Katherine retired to the guest bedroom, leaving Em and Olivia in the living room.

They were watching a Christmas movie when Emily chuckled.

"What?" She muted the TV.

"Nothing, just…"

"What is it?" ollivia tried again.

"Do you ever just feel so alone sometimes?"

"Emily where is this coming from?" Olivia was surprised at her solemn look. Em was always the cheerful bubbly type and this wasn't like her.

"It's just that… It's Christmas Eve and neither of us have a man to spend it with. Doesn't that bother you at all?"

Olivia nodded and looked down to smile at the floor as Fitz crept into her thoughts.

"Wait, is there someone I don't know about?" Emily prodded. It was scary how she could read her emotions just by looking at her.

Olivia shook her head. "It's… complicated." She grabbed her glass of wine.

"Well if just thinking about him makes you smile like that, it doesn't seem so complicated to me. And how could you not tell me!" she slapped her arm.

"Ouch!" she said with a chuckle. "Because, Em." She sighed. "I don't even know what to call it yet. I don't even know if it'll last." She looked out the window. "It's nice with him, but –"

"But what Olivia?"

She didn't have an answer.

"See, you forget how well I know you Liv." She grabbed her hand. "You always do this. You deny yourself the right to be happy. I can't fathom why, but you do. You always want the best for others, but you don't think about yourself."

Olivia exhaled a little annoyed. Every word was true, of course; she just didn't want to admit it.

"You're such a strong woman when it comes to your work. Why can't that spill over to your love life? No judgments here, but you need to get it together, Liv."

It was good advice really, but it was easier said than done.

Olivia smiled and squeezed her hand. "It's late, and I'm going to bed now."

"You are so stubborn." She scoffed.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah, whatever. G'night." She got up and left for her room.

Olivia couldn't find sleep that night. She lay there and thought about being together with Fitz and how perfect it was. Despite her best efforts, her sister's words echoed in her brain. She groaned and slammed her fists on the blankets wondering why it couldn't be as simple as everyone made it out to be.

It was Christmas morning, and all the women sat down for breakfast. From lack of sleep, Olivia was in a bit of a foul mood. There was an awkward silence between the two as they ate and Katherine noticed.

"What's going on with you two? It's colder in here than it is outside."

They both chucked and responded with a simultaneous 'nothing.'

"Okay," she said through quizzical eyes. "So… anything exciting happen lately? I want details" she asked. Their mother was a classy woman, but quite the gossip. They loved that about her.

"Well, not with _me_," Emily said with a smile. Olivia sent a warning glare her way.

Her mother looked toward Olivia. "Liv?"

"It's nothing mother, just ignore her."

"I wouldn't call it nothing," Emily mumbled under her breath.

"God, Em you are such a child sometimes, you know that?"

"Stop." Katherine said calmly. "You're both acting like children. Now, if Olivia doesn't want to talk about whatever is going on, then she doesn't have to."

Olivia and Emily exchanged a cold look across the table. Emily crossed her arms.

"I just think she needs to talk about it to someone," she said to her mother. She directed her focus to Olivia. "You've changed and you know it. You've been so different. Ever since Edison –" she caught herself, but it was too late to backpedal.

"Ever since Edison what, Em?" Olivia's eyes dared her to continue.

"Emily, we're not going to talk about that," her mother offered.

"NO. It's fine. You want me to talk about it so badly, let's talk." She said irately, her voice rising. "Let's talk about how maybe I'm not ready to discuss my relationship with everyone under the sun. Or we can talk about the fact that Edison left me simply because I can't have kids."

The room was heavy with a burning silence. She felt tears stinging the back of her eyes, threatening to fall.

"So sorry if I'm not completely over that yet." Her voice was full of sarcasm and a trace of bitter sadness.

Emily looked to the ground as she saw a faint glimmer of tears in Olivia's eyes. She didn't mean to pour salt on old wounds. It wasn't easy on Olivia when she discovered the news. After the doctor told them she wouldn't likely be able to have children he became detached, distant. A few weeks later, he left; with no more explanation than 'I can't do this anymore.'

They had been civil toward each other over the last couple years because they couldn't totally avoid one other in this city.

But the memory still poisoned the depths of her thoughts at times. The tension in the air was thick and tangible. After a beat of painful silence Olivia rose from the table.

"Uhm, I'm sorry, mom… I just - I can't do this right now." Her breath was shaky.

She stepped outside in the cool air, filling her lungs with a shaky breath as much as possible before letting it go. She hated herself for getting emotional over the memory, but it still hurt. She was completely over Edison, but not his actions.

She couldn't help but think of Fitz, and if he'd react the same way if he found out she basically had an aggressive womb. She briefly wondered if he would even want kids. He already had 2 basically grown already.

She shook the thoughts from her head and went back inside. The atmosphere was the same as when she left and she took her seat at the table.

"Listen." Her voice was softened. "I apologize okay, I shouldn't have lashed out like that; it was completely uncalled for."

"No, it wasn't, I kinda deserved that. I'm sorry Liv, it was wrong for me to even think to bring that up again." They exchanged a smile and took a breath as the air was cleared.

They could never stay mad at each other for more than a couple hours, anyway.

"Alright it's time for presents then," Katherine said peacefully.

They spent the rest of the day together, looking at old movies by the fire. This was exactly the relaxation Olivia needed, and she didn't want to have to leave the next day. She was, however, looking forward to seeing Fitz again.

She couldn't get him off of her mind. She found herself wondering what it would be like to spend the holidays with him; to meet his family. She couldn't deny that this was something she hoped for. No matter how indecisive she always seemed, she knew it was something real. Maybe it was hidden under old abrasions and pent up walls of protection, but she knew he was something worth fighting for.

She decided head out a bit earlier than planned. Her readiness to admit her feelings was something rare and she had to go see him, before the old blankets of armor drove her back to dithering emotion.

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**A/N:** I loved writing for Olivia's sister Emily, and her mom Katherine. Olivia and Fitz are meant to be together, am I right? Remember, if you leave a review, I'll love you forever :)


	11. Chapter 11: This is Paradise

**A/N: Thanks for being patient for this chapter everyone! That's all :) hope you enjoy it.**

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Chapter 11: This is Paradise

She left the morning after Christmas eager to see Fitz. But with that readiness came fear. Fear of not knowing what lay ahead; of her pouring out her emotions just to have it slapped back in her face. If she jumped, would she crumble to the earth beneath her, or would he be there to catch her?

No matter what her heart was telling her, she couldn't shut off the whispers of doubt in her head. She began feeling butterflies flip in her stomach as she came closer to her destination.

The previous night was when she got his phone call. He wanted to meet up with her when she got back into town. The place was a little coffee shop they discovered together on one of their spontaneous dates. It had become 'their spot', secluded from the crowded city.

The taxi driver pulled up and parked, but she sat there for a moment to collect her thoughts. She had been so ready to tell Fitz how much she cared about him. To let it all come out without any fear of repercussion. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Hey lady, you getting out or what?" the driver snapped. She paid him and got out of the car.

The coffee shop was quiet with just a few people, and she spotted him sitting in their booth. He smiled and stood up as soon as he saw her.

"Livvie." He wrapped her in a tight embrace and she sighed into his shirt. He could feel how tense she was and gently pushed her back to look at her face.

"Olivia?" He eyes were glued to anywhere but his and he brushed her cheek to coax her out of her thoughts. She finally looked up and he was met with a mixture sadness and worry in her eyes.

"Hey…" he whispered. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing I just—" she took a breath and smiled. "I missed you." He didn't believe her completely that nothing was wrong, but she looked utterly exhausted, so he decided not to push it today.

"How was your visit with your family?" An annoyed sigh was her response.

"That bad?" She shrugged and offered a half smile.

"Yeah, you could say that." She settled down in her seat and he took one across from her. He leaned forward and gazed at her with an intensity that made her nervous.

"What?" she questioned with a smile.

"I was just thinking… how lucky I am to have you." Her brow crinkled and he grabbed her hand. "I mean it, Olivia." She squeezed his hand and opened her mouth to return the kind words he showed her, but he stopped her.

"You don't have to say anything. Just you being here with me is perfect." She couldn't believe how he knew exactly what to say to calm her. It's as if whatever was wrong in the world didn't matter when he spoke.

"So, how was your Christmas? I hope better than mine." He nodded and laughed quietly.

"It was pretty great. Gerry came home for a couple days, Karen was excited about the new car I got her.

He continued telling her about his week, but his voice faded halfway through. She was watching his lips move and his smile as he talked about his kids. She watched his chest rise and fall as he laughed about something that happened over the holiday. She began to notice the little things about him. How his brow creased as he explained things with such intensity. And the way he always seemed to talk with his hands. Everything about him lit up the room.

"Olivia?" She snapped back to reality.

"Yeah?"

"I said, are you ready to go?"

"What? Where are we going?" She hesitated before grabbing his hand to get up. He chuckled at her nervousness.

"You'll see."

Olivia was not the type of person that liked surprises. But she decided to not think about it too much and live a little.

He opened the car door for her and she settled in. He could tell she was weary so he placed a hand on her knee.

"Don't worry, you'll love it."

About 25 minutes into the drive she couldn't take it anymore.

"Fitz, where are we going?" she demanded to know. "I can't just take random road trips without any notice."

"Why not?" She hesitated.

"Because I have… paperwork." It didn't sound convincing to him or to herself for that matter.

"Liv, you have to learn to take a risk once in a while. Get out of your own head and just enjoy the moment." She sighed heavily and tried to relax against the seat.

"Now just take it easy and enjoy the ride."

It was about 20 minutes later when she finally saw where they were headed. She could see the water in the distance as the shore came into view. They were on the coast of Maryland, about 45 minutes outside of D.C.

"Fitz, are you insane? It's freezing out here; what are we doing here?" She looked at him as if he'd truly gone crazy, and he just smiled.

He took her hand and helped her out the car, ignoring her protests. After turning a corner on a short trail they came to a small house that actually resembled a cabin. She turned to him slowly with a slightly suspicious gleam in her eye.

"Come here." He took her hand once again and led her up to the door where he unlocked it.

Inside was a setup of a small Christmas tree and ornaments. It was a cozy little place as she took in her surroundings.

"Fitz, what is all this?" He moved toward her.

"Well today is our last day off from work and, well… I wanted to do something special." He shrugged. "For you."

"You didn't have to—"

"I know. I wanted to." She silently wondered if he could be any more breathtaking. It seemed as if he poured his heart into every little detail of his affection. She wanted to do the same for him. To let him know that she felt the same way; and she had every intention to do so. But before she could speak, his mouth found hers in an adoring kiss. She melted against him, taking her time to savor the feel of his lips against her own.

Their coats fell to the floor as he led her toward the couch. Shoes were fumbled off as their kisses became fervent, an obsessive need to quench the thirst of not seeing each other for just three days. Three days that felt like an eternity. Her hands were eager as she removed the buttons of his white button down. He mirrored her actions and they fell onto the sofa with a huff.

He spent the entire time she was away thinking about her. About how she was doing, what she was doing. He felt like a lovesick teenager, but it was just something about her; something so completely different that he just couldn't explain it.

He abruptly stopped and pulled back, lips stinging from their ardent embrace, and his blue eyes searched every inch of her face. She realized that this was something he often did, and no longer felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

It was a fascination he couldn't put into words. Her beauty, her intelligence, her passion. Whenever she stepped into the room, his mood would brighten no matter what. He wrote it off as just the feelings of a new relationship, but it had been 11 months since they first met. And it still never failed to undo him when he set sights on her. It wasn't something he'd ever felt before. It was impossible to describe. It was just… her.

He captured her mouth again and lifted her off the seat. Her legs pressed around his waist as he carried her to the small bedroom.

She missed him. His touch was everything she needed and more in that moment. Her brain was quieted for the first time in a while as she allowed herself to live in the moment; the moment of pleasure with someone she cared about.

Her head was on his chest, listening to his shallow breaths; his hand mindlessly running along her arm. She silently thought that everything in life should be this simple and clear.

"Wait here." She was shocked at his sudden movement as he jumped out of bed.

"Fitz what are you doing?" She stretched her neck to see him looking for something. He returned with an entertained smirk.

One hand cradled the back of her neck. She felt his breath on her ear as he whispered to her. "Merry Christmas, sweet baby."

She chuckled at the endearment and scrunched her nose. "Sweet baby? Really?"

"No?" They both laughed softly.

"No." She shook her head.

He reached into the pocket of his pajama bottoms and pulled out a small box.

Olivia's eyes widened and she backed away a little.

"Now, before you freak out…" he opened the lid. "I just wanted to get you a little something."

Her eyes traveled down to see what the box contained. Inside was a gold ring. It was simple with just two small bands that wrapped around, but still so very beautiful. Her mouth gaped open slightly.

"Fitz, you really didn't have to go through the trouble."

"No trouble at all. Like I said, I wanted to." She grabbed the box from his hand and smiled.

"Well now I feel bad because I didn't get you anything."

"But you did, Livvie. There's nothing else I'd want than to be here with you right now." The back of her eyes began to sting with tears threatening to fall. "And it's better than any gift you could have gotten me."

She slipped the ring on her index finger. "Perfect." She toyed with it, still avoiding his eyes. He lifted her chin to face him. "Absolutely perfect," he whispered before gently kissing her.

"So what else did you have planned for today? Anymore surprises I should know about?"

"No. But, I thought we could just spend the rest of the day here."

"Oh? And do what?" He smirked and his eyes flicked up and down her body.

"Well." He maneuvered himself on top of her and brought his mouth close to her ear. "Maybe this." He kissed the crook of her neck. "Or… this." Then repeated the motion on the other side. His hand slowly inched up toward the juncture of her inner thighs, and she gasped as he came into contact with the lace of her lingerie. "Or that?"

She hummed in agreement. "That sounds like a great idea," she said quickly, before taking off his t-shirt.

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They were reclining against the couch on the floor, in front of the warmth of the fire-place. She had never felt this relaxed in years, she thought. Unfortunately, the sun was setting and the day was coming to an end.

"Fitz."

"Hmm?" He was almost asleep. "I have to get going, and so do you. We have work tomorrow."

He groaned. "Don't remind me." He lifted his chin to kiss the side of her neck.

"I'm serious. We have to go. Plus, I have to find something to wear to Jen's wedding"

"Is that this Saturday already?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you ever agree to go to that?" he asked. She chuckled.

"And who has a wedding in the middle of winter?"

"I don't know, she called it a winter wonderland theme." They both laughed at the thought.

"That's ridiculous."

"I know, but she's a sweet girl and I wanted to support her; even though I hate weddings."

"So what time does it start again?" She tilted her head questioningly.

"You mean you're actually going to go to this thing?"

"Of course. I wouldn't leave you there to suffer all by yourself."

They eventually made their way out of the small slice of bliss to head out to the car. He dropped her off at her apartment and she was exhausted… happy, but exhausted nonetheless. Sleep overcame her as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next few days were business as usual. Her schedule was constantly full with meetings and endless tasks, and she barley saw Fitz. Sure there was a coffee break or two and late night phone calls, but they couldn't seem to find the time to see each other lately.

It was hell for him. He could see her, but couldn't touch. It was like sending a kid into a candy store and telling him he couldn't have anything. He needed her so much it was like an addiction.

She had felt it too. It was getting more difficult to restrain herself in the workplace. One look from him had her insides jumping and her crossing her legs in an effort to ease some tension.

Olivia was busy typing away at something, that she didn't even hear someone enter her office until the door closed. She looked up and saw Fitz there making his way to the other side of the room. He reached out and flicked the blinds shut. She stood up slowly and watched him cautiously as he did the same to every window in the room.

"Fitz, what are you doing?" He stood directly in front of her, his nose brushing hers. Breathing normally was an impossible task when he did things like that. Her heart was racing. His only response was an almost silent groan before pressing her flush against him for a fervent kiss.

She forgot all about her rules for a moment, but remembered where they were. Reluctantly, she broke away. "We can't do this here." Her words couldn't stop a whimper that escaped her lips, or the sudden jelly-like state of her wobbly knees.

"I spent the last two days not being able to do this," he lightly sucked on the skin of her neck, careful not to leave a mark. She felt his breath on her ear. "Tell me you want me to stop," he whispered.

It was unprofessional to say the least, but she didn't say stop. She needed him. Olivia Pope would have never pictured herself moaning in the arms of her boss atop of her office desk, but there she was, trying to muffle her cries into his shoulder.

"This can't happen again," she said with a serious tone as she zipped up her skirt.

"I know." He smirked.

"I'm serious, Fitz." She reached out to fix his tie; something that became one of her favorite things to do.

"Okay, whatever you say." He grasped her hand on his chest and ran a finger along the ring he got her. In all honesty, he didn't expect her to wear it. It wasn't as if their relationship was a secret, but it showed him that this wasn't just some fling for her. It definitely wasn't for him. It was a public display of their bond, and that made his heart swell greater than he could bear.

He exited the room and she re-opened the blinds, thankful no one was on the other side peering in.

The week flew by and Saturday had arrived. It was a chilly day, but luckily the wedding they were attending was indoors. It really was quite beautiful, she had to admit.

She saw him sitting in the pew of the church texting away on his Blackberry. She silently slipped in beside him in the empty space, and he took in her appearance. To him she was always breathtaking, but there was something about her today. Her hair, usually in a ponytail, was cascading elegantly over her shoulders. Her eyes looked more intense, and the burgundy red of her lips made his mind spin.

"Hi." He leaned toward her and had his eyes glued to her face. She smiled and whispered a hello, but stared straight ahead as the music began to play. They all stood as Jen entered through the doors. Everyone was enraptured with her, but Fitz couldn't seem to take his eyes off the woman next to him. He wondered if anyone noticed his eyes stuck on her, but decided he didn't care.

They took their seats as the ceremony commenced. As the wedding progressed, he didn't know why, but something was brewing with a deep intensity inside of him. Something he tried to push away, but couldn't. Heartache. He subconsciously flashed back to his wedding day many years ago.

It was a pleasant day in June in the backyard of his father's estate. Mellie was breathtaking in white. He never thought he would find anyone more ambitious and strong than her. And they had a good life together; a happy life. Flash forward fifteen years and the unexpected plague of cancer took her from him.

And now… another incredible woman had walked into his life and turned it upside-down. He never thought he would be able to open up to anyone else; to feel so deeply again. She had become what felt like the most important person in his life. She made him want to be a stronger person; a _better_ person. She made him feel more alive than he had in years.

Olivia glanced over to him and saw a gleam of tears in his eyes. He was staring off into the distance with an intense yet detached appearance. She took his hand in hers. It was a simple gesture, but unexpected to both of them.

He was coming back from whatever daydream overpowered him in that moment, and was reminded of his life in the present. Olivia Pope was by his side. He had been alone for so many years, and he silently wondered if she had any idea how hard he had already fell for her…

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**A/N: As always, thanks for reading. Please don't hesitate to review!**

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Hi everyone, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have a lot going on with my family and school and unfortunately, I won't be able to continue with this story. I also don't have the motivation to write anymore. Sorry if you liked this story, but I just can't continue. Thanks to everyone that took out time to read this story and leave reviews. It was fun while it lasted and I appreciate it so much!


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